Multidimensional Climatic Vulnerability of Urban Market Gardeners in Grand Nokoué, Benin: A Typological Analysis of Risk Exposure and Socio–Economic Inequalities

Vidjinnagni Vinasse Ametooyona Azagoun (), Kossi Komi, Djigbo Félicien Badou, Expédit Wilfrid Vissin and Komi Selom Klassou
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Vidjinnagni Vinasse Ametooyona Azagoun: Regional Center of Excellence on Sustainable Cities in Africa (CERViDA–DOUNEDON/UL), University of Lomé, Lomé BP 1515, Togo
Kossi Komi: Regional Center of Excellence on Sustainable Cities in Africa (CERViDA–DOUNEDON/UL), University of Lomé, Lomé BP 1515, Togo
Djigbo Félicien Badou: Laboratory of Plant Sciences, Horticulture, and Forestry, School of Horticulture and Green Space Management, National University of Agriculture, Porto Novo 01 P.O. Box 55, Benin
Expédit Wilfrid Vissin: Pierre Pagney Laboratory: Climate, Water, Ecosystems and Development (LACEEDE/UAC), University of Abomey–Calavi, Cotonou 03 BP 1122, Benin
Komi Selom Klassou: Research Laboratory on the Dynamics of Environments and Societies (LARDYMES), Department of Geography, University of Lomé, Lomé BP 1515, Togo

Geographies, 2025, vol. 5, issue 3, 1-22

Abstract: Market gardening plays a crucial role in ensuring food security and reducing poverty in Africa’s rapidly urbanizing regions. However, urban agricultural systems are increasingly threatened by climatic shocks such as floods, droughts, and heat waves. This study uses an integrated approach to analyze the multidimensional factors of climatic vulnerability among urban market gardeners in the Grand Nokoué region of Benin. Based on socio–economic, technico–agronomic, and perceptual data collected from 369 growers, multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) coupled with ascending hierarchical analysis (AHA) was performed to identify vulnerability profiles. K–means partitioning was used to confirm the optimal number of groups, thereby guaranteeing the robustness and internal consistency of the typology. Three distinct vulnerability groups were identified, each characterized by specific socioeconomic, technical, and territorial characteristics, as well as varying exposure to the risks of flooding, drought, and dry spells. The results show that the most vulnerable farmers tend to be young women with low incomes, limited access to land, and a reliance on manual irrigation in flood–prone areas. These findings emphasize the uneven distribution of adaptive capacities and the pressing requirement for tailored public policies to enhance resilience, especially among small–scale, low–income, and land–insecure urban farmers, who are vulnerable to various climate–related risks.

Keywords: climate vulnerability; urban environment; typological analysis; Benin; market gardening (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q15 Q5 Q53 Q54 Q56 Q57 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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