Predictors determining the potential of inland valleys for rice production development in West Africa

Water availability and high soil fertility make inland valley landscapes suitable for sustainable rice-based cropping. In this study, Random Forests statistical analysis was used on a database of 499 surveyed inland valleys in four study zones in three West African countries. The goal of the study was to assess parameters that indicate (are predictors for) high potential for development of rice-based systems in inland valleys. These parameters are related to the biophysical (hydrology, soil, climate, and topography) and socio-economic (demography, accessibility, and markets) environments. Farmer group surveys and secondary data from existing publicly available spatial data sets were used.