Economywide impact of climate shock on agricultural sector, women employment and poverty: a Burkina Faso case study

Introduction The study examines the impact of climate shocks in Burkina Faso, concentrating on agriculture, food security, rural income, and women’s employment. It analyses how these interconnected effects play a role in exacerbating poverty, emphasising the pressing need for adaptation and mitigation strategies. Methods The study utilises a recursive dynamic gender-disaggregated computable general equilibrium model linked with a microsimulation model following a top-down methodology to examine how climate shocks influence the agricultural sector, women’s employment, and poverty in Burkina Faso. In this framework, climate change is modelled by decreased agricultural crop yields under scenarios of moderate and severe climate shocks. Results Findings are that under both moderate and severe scenarios, there are negative impacts that become more detrimental in the severe climate shock scenario. Rural areas compared to urban areas experience reductions in the rate of participation in economic activities and increase the burden of domestic work, particularly for women and, more so, for skilled women. Furthermore, the simulations show a negative impact on poverty, with rural households suffering the greatest and increasing the vulnerability of rural women. Discussion The study offers valuable information and guidance to policymakers as they formulate and implement gender aware strategies to tackle the rise in poverty, inequality and social exclusion induced by climate change. These findings show that agricultural and climate policies should focus on targeted investments and actions that consider the specific needs of each sector and support the most vulnerable people.