ALUCCSA aims to develop climate change scenarios for the next 100 years on a regional/local scale for Sub-Saharan Africa (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia) and their impact on land use systems. The aim is to achieve ready-to-use scenarios and recommendations for agroforestry and silvopastoral ecosystems on a highly-resolved spatial scale. Ocean-atmosphere coupled global circulation models (GCM) will be used as the basis for downscaling onto a regional and local level. Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere-Transfer (SVAT)-models for a plot scale will be used to simulate competition of plants for space, PAR radiation, water and nutrients. The capacity of the plant to cope with different environments will be estimated by measured and modelled  leafwater potential. Present vegetation structure and function will be determined by means of remote-sensing and ground based measurements. Their future distribution will be derived from their habitat requirements and climate scenarios. Current forms of agriculture and livestock husbandry practices will be evaluated in the specific regions and confronted with future climate scenario conditions. These integrating expert views will flow into profound support tools for adaptation of agricultural practice to climate change. They hold in readiness practical information for stakeholders options for actions concerning their aim.

Partner Organisations: University Göttingen (Project coordination), Direction de Météorologie und Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles, Burkina Faso, Université de Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, AGRHYMET Niger

Funder: BMZ und GIZ

Project period: 2008-2011

Contact Goethe-University: Dr. Karen Hahn