Radio Scripts
Package 88, Script 8
July 2009
Rural communities adapting to climate change in Benin
Notes to broadcaster
Climate change is now an undeniable reality for both scientific researchers and rural communities. International, regional, national and local actions are being undertaken to help poor farmers and rural communities reduce their vulnerability and better adapt to climate change.
In this context, a Benin-based non-governmental organization (NGO) called Initiatives for Sustainable Integrated Development is implementing a program called Strengthening the Capacity to Adapt to Climate Change in Rural Bénin. (PARBCC). Funded by the Climate Change Adaptation in Africa program, which is a joint initiative between the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the project aims to strengthen the capacity of rural Beninese people to adapt to climate change, thus reducing food insecurity and rural poverty in Benin.
This script shares examples of successful adaptation by Beninese farmers. It is hoped that it will help farmers in other developing countries to better cope with the effects of the changing climate.
This script is based on actual interviews. You could use this script as inspiration to research and write a script on a similar topic in your area. Or you might choose to produce this script on your station, using voice actors to represent the speakers. If so, please make sure to tell your audience at the beginning of the program that the voices are those of actors, not the original people involved in the interviews.
Characters:
Fade up signature
tune, then under host Host: Dear
friends across the airwaves, hello and welcome to our farming program. We have
in the studio with us two farmers who will talk about their experiences with adapting
to climate change. We will also talk with Mr. Said Hounkponou, the manager of a
project that helps support these adaptations. Mr. Hounkponou will give you an
overview of the project. Said Hounkponou: The farmers and the local officials are the main beneficiaries
of the project. We work in 35 of the country’s 77 communes. Host: Can
you describe the activities that the project does with each type of beneficiary? Said Hounkponou: With the farmers, we are conducting field experiments to
identify agricultural practices and local knowledge that will help farmers successfully
adapt to climate change. We have created an atmosphere of dialogue and exchange
in which project staff and farmers interact as equals. Together, we discuss and
choose by common agreement between the proposals made by both sides. Rather
than giving lessons and imposing things, we act more as facilitators. We also
bring them information on how the climate has changed in the last months, and
the forecasts for the next months. This information is compiled and interpreted
every two months by a committee which includes the national meteorological
service, members of government ministries, and other organizations. The
information is then discussed by committees in each commune, and then recommendations
are broadcast to farmers on community radio stations. Farmers participate in
these committees. Host:
Before the project, what did you do to adapt to unpredictable weather? Because of the change towards
only one rainy season during the year, we do not grow cotton anymore. We have diversified
our food crops. Instead of growing cotton, we grow more soybeans, because they
need less water, pesticides and fertilizer, Glégnon Codjo: When the project started, we had village meetings. In the meetings, we
identified options for adapting to climate change. Based on our discussions, we
decided to grow maize and mucuna as well as soybeans and peanuts in strips.
These are new practices for us. Tinari Kouagou: No complaints, only very good assessments. Host: Can
you please explain some of the experiments you have conducted with this
project? Tinara Kouagou: Here in northern Because
our soils are no longer fertile, the project has taught us to do alley
cropping. This technique is very useful for improving poor soils. It protects
the soil from the effects of heavy rain, and protects the crops from winds. For
example, at the beginning of the last rainy season, we directly planted in the
ground, at every five metres, seeds of trees in rows. Between each row of
trees, we grow vegetables. We planted rows of trees along contour lines, across
the slope. Growing crops this way protects the soil during irregular rainfall,
since the rows of trees keep rainwater in the soil. The best time to use mulching
is when the crops flower. Mulching will not only keep moisture in the soil, but
it will also reduce the growth of weeds. Also, we recommend
using as much organic fertilizer as possible. Organic fertilizers help retain
water in the soil and are often cheaper than chemical fertilizers. Fade up of signature tune then under the host’s voice
Host of the program: Félix Houinsou
Guests of the show:
- Said Hounkponou: PARBCC project manager
- Glégnon Codjo: Farmer – a beneficiary of the project
- Tinari Kouagou: Farmer – another beneficiary of the project
At the microphone, I am your humble servant, Félix Houinsou, your host for this
program.
Fade up signature tune, then under host
Host:
Said Hounkponou: Yes! Farmers in
Host: Who benefits from the project?
When it comes to local officials, the project aims to raise awareness. Since it
is these officials who develop and implement policies at the municipal level, they
must be involved in order to ensure the success of the projects. By involving
local officials in leading the communal committees I mentioned earlier, the
project ensures that local officials and other political authorities are well
aware of the issues and of the roles they can play. Some adaptation measures
cannot be implemented by farmers on their own. These include small dams, the
planting of large tree lines as windbreaks, and many others. In some communes,
the municipal administration has even included these measures in its own plan.
Host: What are the adaptation
options that you selected in agreement with the farmers?
Said Hounkponou: They include
updating planting dates to account for the changing climate, managing soil
fertility, rainwater harvesting techniques for improved agricultural use of
water, and integrated crop management.
Musical break 10 seconds and then fade
under host
Moderator: I now turn to you, Mr.
Glégnon Codjo. You are a farmer, and you are a beneficiary of the project. What
does climate change mean to you?
Glégnon Codjo: What comes to my mind
first is the disruption of the rainy season. We now have a long dry season and
a shorter rainy season. Rain falls at unpredictable times.
Glégnon Codjo: We did not know that
climate change is a natural phenomenon. We thought that it was caused by the
wrath of our gods. So we made sacrifices to ask for their mercy in order for
rain to fall. Because the beginning of the rainy season was late, we started
planting late. This allowed us to avoid the dry spell which has regularly come after
the first rains in recent years.
We plant groundnuts on a larger scale before the rains begin. We also grow cassava.
These crops are more resistant to drought than cotton.
Host: Now that the project is
running, what are you doing to adapt to the rain problems caused by climate
change?
10 seconds musical break and then fade
under host
Host: Mr. Tinari Kouagou, you are also
one of the farmers who participated in the experiments on adaptation. Do you
have any comments or criticisms of the project?
Host: What are these good
assessments?
Tinari Kouagou: With the support
from the project, we have done some very good experiments and we had very good
crops, despite the unpredictable rainfall. We are all sincerely happy about
that.
Host: The issue of water is the main
problem plaguing agriculture in
Tinari Kouagou: Often, during the
rainy saison, rainwater fills the lowland fields and floods crops. To avoid
this flooding, we use something called the Zaïre technique. This involves digging
small holes between the plants to allow the water to seep into the soil. When
it rains, runoff can clog the holes with twigs and sand. Thus, after each rain,
you have to remove the twigs and sand. This technique is most effective on clay
soils, because clay soils store more water than other kinds of soil. It prevents
rainwater from flooding the crops grown in the lowlands.
Host: (Speaking to the project manager) Some farmers’ fields are located
on a plateau, and they do not have problems with flooding. What should they do
to retain water in their field?
Said Hounkponou: We recommend mulching
for these farmers. Mulching involves spreading crop residues to retain a small
amount of moisture in the soil after the rain. Mulching is used especially on
sandy, porous soils. When it stops raining, these soils become dry quickly, and
water seeps away from plant roots.
Host: Planting crops which are resistant
to heat and drought, but grown together and with enough water resources. These are
among the strategies that farmers in
Dear friends and listeners, thank you for listening. I hope you liked this
program, and that you learned about some ways to adapt to climate change.
Goodbye!
Acknowledgements
Information sources
Program undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
