Simulating the effects of sea level rise and soil salinization on migration and adaptation in coastal Mozambique

Sea level rise (SLR) causes increasing salt deposition in the soil and groundwater of coastal regions. This will affect coastal farmers, since salinity levels will reduce crop yield, which leads to loss in net annual income of farmer communities. To minimize the impacts and income loss, farmers often adopt adaptation measures, such as irrigation, adding manure and gypsum, switching to salt tolerant crops, or buying less saline lands. When these options are not feasible,  farmers may migrate to inland areas to minimize future impacts and damages.

We adopt an agent-based model (ABM) to simulate adaptation and migration decisions by farmers in Mozambique under sea level rise. . The ABM is coupled to a salinization module for simulating the relation between soil salinity and sea level rise. The decision rules in the model (DYNAMO-M) are grounded in economic theory of subjected expected utility where household maximize their welfare by deciding 1) to stay and face loss from salinization and flooding, 2) stay and adapt (irrigation or buy land) or 3) migrate to safer inland areas. The model runs with a yearly timestep (2020-2100) for simulating salinity levels, but accounts for dynamics in the growing season. (Future-) soil salinity levels are derived from ISRIC (2012) and Hassani et al. (2020). Projections in salinity levels are converted into (reduced-) yield levels following Maas and Hoffman (1977). Country statistics and census data are then used to estimate farmers income from expected yields. The model finally simulates adaptation decisions based on the cost (expected yield loss + adaptation investments) against the benefit (expected yield). Results show how many farming households have stayed with the damage, adapted with a measure, and migrated to inland areas over time and space.  

 

Keywords: sea level rise, soil salinization, coastal farmers, agent-based model, migration