Challenges to Coping Strategies with Agrometeorological Risks and Uncertainties in Africa

Agriculture is inherently sensitive to climate conditions and is among the economic sectors most vulnerable to weather and climate risks (Hoppe Sivakumar and Motha (Eds) In Managing weather and climate risks in agriculture, Springer, 2007; Sivakumar & Motha In Managing weather and climate risks in agriculture Berlin. Springer (2007)). In many parts of the world climate change and extreme climatic events—such as severe droughts, floods, storms, tropical cyclones, heat-waves, freezes and extreme winds—pose the greatest production risk and uncertainty impacting agricultural systems performance and management (Stone et al. Meteorological Applications 13:3–5, 2006). These events directly affect the quantity and quality of agricultural production—in many cases, adversely.