Rainfall variability, land pressure and rice cultivation in the commune of ratoma, conakry, republic of Guinea

Rice cultivation practiced in the outskirts of Conakry near the sea arms is one of the most vulnerable to climate variations and land pressure. It is in order to contribute to better understanding the effect of urban pressure and climate variation on rice cultivation that this research was carried out. For this work, the survey method, the cartographic method and the collection of climate data were used. As a result, it appears that rice cultivation in the commune of Ratoma is under the influence of land pressure with a built-up area that increased from 999.66 ha in 1986 to 12,662.81 ha in 2020 as shown in the land use maps. The built-up area occupies 42% of the total area of the commune. In addition, the 30-year rainfall averages show a downward trend from 1981 to 2010. Over this period, 1988 recorded more rainfall, with a cumulative total of 4513.69 mm of water falling, while 1984 recorded the lowest rainfall, with a cumulative total of 2403.40 mm. Despite these situations, some rice-growing areas are still resistant to land pressure and climatic variations in the area. To survive, rice farmers use varieties with an average cycle of 4-5 months and which are resistant to salt. This study is of interest because it presents the difficulties associated with peri-urban rice growing and the local solutions developed.