Reconstituting family transitions of Sahelian western Niger 1950-2000 : an agent-based modelling approach in a low data context

Mehdi Saqalli (1) , C. Bielders (2) , Pierre Defourny (2) , B. Gérard (3)

1 GEODE - Géographie de l'environnement
2 UCL - Université Catholique de Louvain = Catholic University of Louvain
3 CIMMYT - International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center

This research analyses the impacts of the family organization on the diversity of income sources and the sustainability and the dynamics of rainfed farming systems of Sahelian Niger, through an individual-centred agent-based model which variables were defined through anthropological investigation. Results show that family organisation has strong effects on wealth levels and distribution and on demographic growth. They also suggest a historic shift from the patriarchal mode to a mono-nuclear mode in the 70's in this specific area, due to a higher resilience of the latter thanks to a broader diversification and a better adequacy between wealth and family demography

Mots clés: Sahel; Niger; family organisations; Agent-based simulation; social criteria; socio-environmental dynamics

Domaines: Géographie

Mehdi Saqalli, C. Bielders, Pierre Defourny, B. Gérard. Reconstituting family transitions of Sahelian western Niger 1950-2000 : an agent-based modelling approach in a low data context. Cybergeo : Revue européenne de géographie / European journal of geography, 2013, 634, pp.en ligne. ⟨halshs-00919277⟩