**2. The Sahelian situation**

Dryland farming is the dominant mode of livelihood across the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Africa, a transition zone about 400–600 km wide that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in Senegal to the Red Sea in Djibouti and Indian Ocean in Somalia [11]. Climate-smart solutions and modernization of technologies are critical to improving agriculture in the zone. The Sahel is home to a population of about 110 million persons, the majority of whom rely upon agriculture through the cultivation of about 30 million ha. Landscapes are flat to gently undulating and rainfall at theses latitudes is concentrated in a single growing season between June and September, with a total annual precipitation of only 150–600 mm that is often deposited by only a few heavy storms. Daytime temperatures often exceed 40°C. The natural vegetation ranges from semi-desert in the north to woody grassland in the south. Millet is widely grown in the Sahel and Sudanese zones, but so too is sorghum and maize. New varieties of wheat can be grown too, particularly during the cooler months [12]. Semi-nomadic pastoralism is widely practiced and overgrazing has led to extensive land degradation and desertification. Rice cultivation is possible in some areas, most notably the valleys of major rivers, and represents an important crop in household diets and livelihoods. The adjoined Sudanese Zone receives greater rainfall (600–1200 mm per year) but is confined to a 2–3 month window and its farmers are faced with similar challenges to crop production as their neighbors in the Sahel [5].

Agricultural production in the Sahel is perilous because of severe and cyclical droughts [13]. Other soil limitations exist due to low water-holding and nutrient retention capacities and soils are often sandy and acidic [14]. Because of their unfavorable soil physical properties and low nutrient reserves, soils of the African drylands present a challenge to farmers [15]. Clearly, farmers in the Sahel are acutely aware of drought as a chronic risk and are prepared to adjust their cropping strategies accordingly. Population densities in the agricultural areas remain relatively low, with

*Blending Climate Action and Rural Development in Africa's Sahel DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.103817*

0.5–1.5 ha available per capita. Land availability alone does not assure rural prosperity in the Sahel owing to the poor crop productivity resulting from low rainfall and chronic risk of drought. Despite the severe conditions experienced by farmers in the Sahel, large opportunities are available for employing improved soil and water management technologies, including those important to climate actions [5].

The Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation Program (TAAT) deploys proven technologies to African farmers, including those in the Sahel. TAAT arose as a joint effort of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) and is a crucial component of the latter's Feed Africa Strategy [10]. It is organized around 15 "Compacts" that represent priorities and partnerships to achieve food security in Africa and advance its role in global agricultural trade [16]. TAAT operates a Regional Technology Delivery Infrastructure that offers a menu of tested and proven food production technologies for nine priority commodities to program partners and stakeholders. These technologies are bundled into "technology toolkits" [17] that are included within country projects and deployed through extension campaigns. These technologies include improved crop varieties, seed systems innovations, accompanying soil fertility and pest managements, harvest and postharvest handling, digital applications, and value addition processes [18], providing Regional Public Goods that attract broad public interest and recognizable benefits. TAAT offers a unique collaborative platform where government, international donors, private actors, and nonstate actors committed to advancing transformative agricultural technologies connect with those who need them most, particularly within programs addressing agricultural production and rural development. It offers a mechanism for the development community to buy into proven technical advances [19]. This paper describes how TAAT's technologies are of benefit to the Sahel and how they may be better integrated within climate action efforts.
