Barriers to Climate Change Adaptation Among Farming Households of Southern Nigeria

Abstract

Climate change is perhaps the most serious environmental threat to the fight against hunger, malnutrition, disease and poverty in Africa, essentially because of its impact on agricultural productivity. The objective of this paper was to identify the major barriers to climate change adaptation among smallholder farmers of Southern Nigeria. The paper was based on primary data collected within the framework of the Development Partnership for Higher Education (DelPHE) Project from 360 farming households selected randomly from the region. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and factor analysis. The result of the analysis show that majority of the farmers were men (70%), relatively educated (average of 9 years in school) and practiced mixed farming (61%). The major factors constraining farmers from adapting to climate change impacts were-(a) land constraints which manifested itself in limited availability, high costs and poor ownership systems (tenure); (b) poor climate change information and agricultural extension service delivery; (c) high cost of farm inputs and processing facilities; (d) high cost of irrigation facilities and government irresponsiveness to climate change risk management, (e) credit constraints, (f) labour constraints, and (g) income constraints. The paper concludes with a recommendation that farmers need to be supported in order for them to effectively adapt to the climate change impacts that are already affecting their production and hence reduce hunger and poverty. These supports could come from governments, non-governmental organizations and even farmers' unions themselves.

Regional Assessment of Climate Change Hazards in Southern Nigeria with GIS

“…In all these, the highest level of overall rainfall occurs in the South-south, within the shorelines along Bonny South of Port Harcourt and East of Calabar, where the average annual rainfall volume surpasses over 4,000 mm. Most of the rest of the South-south and Southeast takes in around 2,000 to 3,000 mm of rain annually, and the Southwest (lying farther north) sees minor overall precipitation, mostly between 1,250 to and 2,500 mm yearly [48]. As a matter of fact, the average yearly precipitation of 1,900 mm for the Lagos area in the Southwest remains below the volumes in the South-south and the Southeast.…”

Appraising the Changing Trends in Oil Palm Farming in Nigeria's Lower South Region

“…Noticeably, the climate of the Lower Southern region characterized by strong latitudinal zones is progressively known for its heavy rainfall that occurs commonly in the South-south, with the shoreline along Bonny (south of Port Harcourt) and east of Calabar, where the average annual rainfall volume surpasses over 4,000 mm. Overall, the rest of the South-south and Southeast gets 2,000 to 3,000 mm of rain yearly [45], essential for the viability of oil palm plantations in the heart of the oil belt. Under such conditions, the Southern region flourished as the frontier of the globe's best quality oil palm crude trade [42], that earned it the name the "oil river" district, in the 19th and early 20th century [1].…”

Drivers of rural–urban interdependence and their contributions to vulnerability in food systems in Nigeria – a framework

“…Wisner, Blaikie, Cannon, and Davis (2004) report that the vulnerability of food systems is determined not by the nature and magnitude of environmental stress like climate change per se, but by the combination of the societal capacity to cope with and/or recover from environmental change. While the coping capacity and degree of exposure are related to environmental changes, they are also related to changes in societal aspects such as urbanization and rural-urban interdependence (Ozor et al, 2010). This could be at the root of the much talked about poverty alleviation and food security for the vulnerable groups of the less developed countries of the world.…”

“…Furthermore, much of climatic change agricultural research has been focused on assessing the sensitivity of various attributes of crop systems (e.g. crop/livestock yields, pest, diseases, and weeds) (Ozor et al, 2010). These assessments most often consider climatic change in isolation, focusing on biophysical aspects of production and provide little insight into the food accessibility and food utilization dimensions of food security and the part played by urbanization in exacerbating the vulnerability of food systems (Ozor et al, 2010).…”

“…crop/livestock yields, pest, diseases, and weeds) (Ozor et al, 2010). These assessments most often consider climatic change in isolation, focusing on biophysical aspects of production and provide little insight into the food accessibility and food utilization dimensions of food security and the part played by urbanization in exacerbating the vulnerability of food systems (Ozor et al, 2010). To better address the food security concerns that are central to economic and sustainable development agendas, it is desirable to develop a broader research framework, which integrates biophysical and socio-economic aspects of food systems.…”