Climate Change Adaptation Options in Farming Communities of Selected Nigerian Ecological Zones

Ayansina Ayanlade (Corresponding author), Isaac Ayo Oluwatimilehin, Adeola A. Oladimeji,, Godwin Atai, Damilola T. Agbalajobi

Publications: Contribution to bookChapterPeer Reviewed

Abstract

This chapter examines the impacts of climate change on three tropical crops and assesses the climate change adaptation options adopted by rural farmers in the region. The study was conducted among farming communities settled in three major ecological zones in Nigeria. Over 37 years of data on rainfall and temperature were analyzed to examine climate change impacts on three major crops: rice, maize, and cassava. Farmers’ adaptive capacity was assessed with a survey. Climatic data, crop yields, and survey data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The relation between rainfall/temperature and crop yields was examined using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Results show a high variation in the annual rainfall and temperature during the study period. The major findings from this research is that crops in different ecological zones respond differently to climate variation. The result revealed that there is a very strong relationship between precipitation and the yield of rice and cassava at p <0.05 level of significance. The results further showed low level of adaption among the rural farmers. The study concludes that rainfall and temperature variability has a significant impact on crop yield in the study area, but that the adaptive capacity of most farmers to these impacts is low. There is a need for enhancing the adaptation options available to farmers in the region, which should be the focus of government policies.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAfrican Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation
EditorsWalter Leal Filho
Place of PublicationCham
PublisherSpringer
Pages297-313
Number of pages17
ISBN (Electronic)978-3-030-45106-6
ISBN (Print)978-3-030-45105-9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2021
Externally publishedYes

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

  • 507002 Population geography

Keywords

  • Adaptation
  • Climate change
  • Crop yield
  • Impacts
  • Nigeria

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