CLIMATE CHANGE, DROUGHT AND CROP RESILIENCE: PATHWAYS TO SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

This volume presents a multidisciplinary exploration of climate resilience in agriculture, focusing on adaptation strategies, predictive modeling, and sustainable crop development. As climate variability increasingly threatens food and water security, the chapters collectively address the urgent need for data-driven and context-specific solutions. The first chapter examines how maize farmers in Oyo State, Nigeria, adapt to climate change, highlighting the socio-economic and environmental factors that influence production potential. The second chapter applies a Markov-chain model to analyze dry spell lengths in Benin, offering valuable insights for optimizing crop planning and mitigating climate risks. Building on these regional studies, the third chapter introduces climate-smart crops as a pathway to sustainable agriculture. It emphasizes the role of crop innovation in enhancing resilience and ensuring food security under changing climatic conditions. The final chapter explores the application of artificial intelligence in drought forecasting within the Mediterranean context. By integrating advanced technologies into environmental monitoring, it underscores the potential of AI to support proactive water resource management and long- term sustainability planning.