Household behavioural responses to changing rainfall patterns in rural Gambia and the risks for human health

Increasingly climate change is affecting the health of rural populations in West Africa. Annual rainfall has declined by 25-30% in The Gambia. This is likely to have an impact on health outcomes, given the established seasonal trends of certain diseases within the country, such as malnutrition and infectious disease. The relationship between rainfall patterns in The Gambia and health outcomes will be examined using a mixed-methods (qualitative and quantitative) approach. There will be a particular focus on investigating behavioural responses to actual and perceived changes in rainfall and drought conditions (e.g. diverting water from household use for agricultural purposes) and assessing the implications for health.
This project will broaden the evidence base related to observed climate change and health, and provide policy-relevant evidence to help countries better address current and future risks.
Research is limited on the health effect of household responses to droughts and changes in rainfall patterns, therefore this project would enhance understanding of these responses and of the potential health implications of climate change.
This project would link to the FACE-Africa project, which assesses adaptations to climate change in the food system in The Gambia and their implications for human health. The research would support the project objectives by exploring the relationship between environmental pressures and the health of agricultural communities, which in turn could help to estimate how food systems adaptations might reduce this potential health burden.