## 5 Discussion  
The approach employed in this work follows the AR4 classification of vulnerability (where vulnerability is a function of sensitivity, exposure, and adaptive capacity), while future developments and updates of this work may follow the terminology in AR5 and include risk (hazard, exposure, and vulnerability). The above results show that maize has the highest vulnerability index and the lowest adaptive capacity index compared to both wheat and barley nationally and sub-nationally; this is also justified by the relatively low mean growing season precipitation recorded for maize at both scales. When rainfall during the growing season decreases, the humidity of the soil obtained from rainwater vegetation decreases, and water pressure occurs, which results in a drop in crop yield. Other research has looked at the effects of climate change on the growth season of various crops, such as crop shortening and early ripening [60; 61; 62; 63]. For example, [PERSON] et al. [64] detailed that the reduction in yield was proportional to the lengthening of the growth period due to extended periods of high temperatures. In West Africa, growing season precipitation also \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Crops**} & **Pearson Correlation** & **Pearson Correlation** & **Pearson Correlation** \\  & **EI vs. VI** & **SI vs. VI** & **AdCI vs. VI** \\ \hline Barley & 0.53 & 0.51 & \(-\)0.83 \\ Maize & 0.59 & 0.51 & \(-\)0.87 \\ Wheat & 0.52 & 0.45 & \(-\)0.89 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 2: Pearson Correlations between the Sensitivity (SI), Exposure (EI), Adaptive Capacity (AdCI) Indexes vs the Vulnerability Index (VI) at the Sub-national Scale. impacts crop yields [64; 65]. Various yield responses have been attributed to changes in growing season rainfall months. Wheat yields in Morocco were the lowest in 1999 due to poor rainfall throughout the growing season [66]. Specifically, the timing of rainfall and its distribution are both important factors in differentiating between a good and a bad year. Below-average rainfall corresponds to an excellent crop year if the timing is good, and if it is well distributed throughout the crop growing season. The low correlation and R\({}^{2}\) between yield and rainfall recorded in this study shows that cereal yields can be associated with different elements that were not taken into consideration in our study, consisting of irrigation, fertilization, soil qualities, pests, and different components of management [41]. In terms of cereal production, wheat, barley, and maize are among the grains produced and imported by North African nations. While Egypt is by far the most important manufacturer and importer, Morocco has the best cereal production according to capita manufacturing of wheat [67]. In sub-Saharan Africa, the average consumption of wheat is about 30 kg/capita/year, which is less than the 200 kg/capita/year recorded in North Africa [68]. Many variables can account for this--particularly in Eastern Africa's highlands--including the high frequency of diseases and the spread of pests, as well as the pre-harvest sprouting in Ethiopia that deteriorates the quality of wheat [67]. While Maize is the staple and most common cereal in sub-Saharan Africa, in Morocco maize production has been shrinking since the 1960s. The decline in maize and barley yields is explained by the fact that these crops have been pushed back by wheat to less fertile plots [69]. This further explains why these crops are more vulnerable. Furthermore, some production elements suffer losses in their returns because of adverse weather. Among the various types of rainfed fields, those in Morocco's intermediate zone have been the most damaged. Additionally, maize production areas have been hardest hit [70]. In Morocco, droughts during the growing season of maize have also increased the vulnerability of the crop [71]. It has been forecasted that warming paired with a decrease or modest increase in rainfall will cause maize yields to decline [71].