Marcel Adigbegnon

Climatology and Ethnoclimatology Laboratory of the University of Parakou (Labo ClimET-UP), Benin

Climate Variations and Trends in the Sudanian Zone of Benin

Biography

Marcel Adigbegnon is Currently a PhD candidate in Geography and Environmental Management at the University of Abomey-Calavi, I earned a Master’s degree in Applied Climatology from the University of Abomey-Calavi’s Institute of Living Environment (Institut du Cadre de Vie) in 2023, following a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Geography from the University of Parakou in 2017. Passionate about research, I have authored seven scientific articles and co-authored seven others covering topics such as climate variability, land degradation, desertification, bioclimatology, global warming, climate extremes, and the degradation of ecological systems. Since June 2024, I have been a researcher at the University of Parakou’s Laboratory of Climatology and Ethnoclimatology, where I also manage the laboratory’s database. Additionally, I have participated in around ten scientific conferences, seminars, and symposia in Benin and West Africa.

Abstract

Climate variations and trends refer to the full range of short-term fluctuations and long-term changes observed in climatic parameters. This research involved the use of field data and monthly and annual climatological data (rainfall, temperature, wind speed, evapotranspiration, and relative humidity) covering the 1951–2022 period. These data were used to conduct descriptive statistical analyses—such as the Mann-Kendall test—to determine the direction of change and the climatic balance, and to assess extreme weather events. The results show that between 1951 and 2022, monthly precipitation ranged from 56.37 mm in April to 280 mm in August, while annual rainfall varied from 1,170.04 ±237.89 mm in the humid tropical zone (sub-Sudanian) to 811.96 ±156.43 mm in the dry tropical zone (northern Sudanian). Regarding the spatiotemporal evolution of precipitation, a significant decrease of 0.18% to 30% was recorded at 88% of the stations, whereas an increase of 1.68% to 9.22% was observed at 12% of the stations. Average temperatures rose by 1.52°C to 1.96°C, peaking at +2.48°C in 2006. Relative humidity ranges from 63% in the south to 56% in the north, reaching a maximum of 78–85% in August.