Coupled Climate-Economic Modes in the Sahel's Interannual Variability

We study the influence of interannual climate variability on the economy of several countries in the Sahel region. In the agricultural sector, we are able to identify coupled climate-economic modes that are statistically significant on interannual time scales. In particular, precipitation is a key climatic factor for agriculture in this semi-arid region. Locality and diversity characterize the Sahel's climatic and economic system, with the coupled climate-economic patterns exhibiting substantial differences from country to country. Large-scale atmospheric patterns - like the El Niño-Southern Oscillation and its quasi-biennial and quasi-quadrennial oscillatory modes - have quite limited influence on the economies, while more location-specific rainfall patterns play an important role.