Study of the Impact of Global Warming on the Productivity and Human Comfort of Workers of Farmers' Organizations in the Sahelian Zone of Cameroon

The objective of this work is to characterize the impact of heat wave situations on the productivity and human comfort of workers in peasant organizations in the Cameroonian Sahel zone. The Active Method of Participatory Research and Planning (MPRP) made it possible to collect socio-economic data through a series of 250 questionnaires. With Microsoft Office Excel, R and SPSS software, the descriptive analysis of the data consisted of calculating proportions (percentages, means and standard deviations), and creating graphs and tables. Overall, 3.85±0.83 women/hectare and 6.73±1.18 men/hectare work on a farm in the semi-arid Sahelian zone. In the dry season, a light work intensity of 156 watts induces a need for rest periods each hour in men starting at a WBGT of 30 °C, with a cumulative of 5±0.5 hours of rest during work times. While in women, a light work intensity of 156 watts induces a need for rest periods every hour at a WBGT of 30°C, with a cumulative 4.5±0.1 hours of rest during work times. During the dry season, the metabolic heat generated by physical activity in women in humid areas is 42.33±1.86°C and 42.32±1.17°C in semi-arid areas while in men in humid zones, it is 44.21±0.51°C and 45.69±1.66°C in semi-arid zones. These impacts of heat wave situations on the productivity and human comfort of workers in farmer organizations will provide a tool for managing heat wave risks in the Cameroonian Sahel environment.

本研究旨在刻画喀麦隆萨赫勒地区农民组织内劳动者的劳动生产率与人体舒适度受热浪情境的影响特征。本研究采用参与式研究与规划主动法（Active Method of Participatory Research and Planning，MPRP），通过250份系列问卷采集社会经济数据。借助Microsoft Office Excel、R及SPSS软件，研究团队开展数据描述性分析，具体包括计算比例（百分比、均值与标准差），以及绘制统计图与生成统计表。整体而言，半干旱萨赫勒地区的农场中，每公顷土地对应女性劳动者3.85±0.83人、男性劳动者6.73±1.18人。旱季时，当湿球黑球温度（Wet Bulb Globe Temperature，WBGT）达到30℃，劳动强度为156瓦的男性劳动者每小时便需要休息，工作时段内累计休息时长可达5±0.5小时。而对于劳动强度同为156瓦的女性劳动者，当WBGT达到30℃时同样需每小时休息一次，工作时段内累计休息时长为4.5±0.1小时。旱季期间，潮湿地区女性劳动者因体力活动产生的代谢热为42.33±1.86℃，半干旱地区则为42.32±1.17℃；而潮湿地区男性劳动者的代谢热为44.21±0.51℃，半干旱地区为45.69±1.66℃。本研究揭示的热浪情境对喀麦隆萨赫勒地区农民组织内劳动者生产率与人体舒适度的影响，可为该区域的热浪风险管理提供有效支撑工具。