In the semi-arid region of Northeast Brazil, water resources are scarce andrainfall often has high temporal and spatial variability. Despite regionalclimate trends, no significant rainfall change could be detected by linearregressions in the Pajeú River watershed between 1912 and 2013. This studyfocused on the identification of regional impacts on agriculture in the formof crop yields, livestock, and animal products, through the annual rainfallvariability. Yields of temporary crops were correlated to the annual rainfalldeparture, whereas permanent crops were less susceptible to droughts, buthad a negative effect on the memory after the dry years. In the livestocksector, farmers reacted to the consequences of droughts and increasedstocks of smaller animals with faster recovery rates, and also implementedapiculture. The results show a high vulnerability of agricultural productionand regional income due to the low adaptation to local climate conditions.Hence, agricultural practices and water management should be furtherimproved to fight against crucial economic depressions during droughts.
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