Analysis of the effects of climate change in Benin

The consequences of climate change (rising temperatures rising sea levels increased variability in rainfall and a resurgence of extreme events such as droughts and floods) pose a major threat to economic growth in Benin. Thus the aim of our study is to highlight the losses in per capita income caused by climate change with a view to eliciting a rapid response from decision-makers. To this end using a methodology deduced from that used by Lemzoudi (2005) and Thomas Bernauer et al (2009) the study shows that the impacts of global warming and variations in rainfall are all negative on gross domestic product per capita. Indeed a one-unit change in precipitation and a one-unit change in temperature lead to decreases in gross domestic product per capita of US$0.0011 and US$0.0272 respectively. These results illustrate the relevance and urgency of implementing climate change adaptation practices.