Indigenous and Emerging Adaptive Agricultural Technologies to Climate Change in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

ABSTRACT The study ascertained indigenous and emerging adaptive agricultural technologies to climate change in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Data were collected from 400 respondents through the use of semi structured interview schedule using a multi stage random sampling technique. The collected data were analyzed using percentages, mean score, and factor analysis. The findings revealed that majority (89.8%) of the respondents were aware of climate change though only 9.0% of them knew of climate change to a great extent; it was found that majority (94.8%) of the respondents had knowledge of climate change effects on their farming activities. The findings also showed that respondents sourced information on climate change from radio/television (61.0%), newspaper (44.0%) and friends (43.8%). The major perceived causes of climate change by the respondents were burning of fossil fuel (M=4.19), gas flaring from oil companies (M =4.03), high temperature due to ozone layer depletion (M =3.99) and gases released from industries (M =3.92). The result also showed that bush burning, cutting down of trees, cooking with firewood, crude oil spillage further causes of climate change. The major perceived effects of climate change on farming activities included: low rainfall intensity (M =3.34), late onset of rains (M = 3.36), heat from high temperature (M =3.29), high rate of weed growth (M =3.00), poor crop yield (M =2.98), and decrease in soil moisture (M =2.95). Findings further showed that about 24% of the respondents had contact with extension workers in the last one year. The mean distribution on available extension activities on climate change revealed that there were limited activities on climate change issues in the study area. It was further revealed that organic manure (72.0%), cover cropping (71.8%), 8 minimum/zero tillage (57.2%), mixed farming practices (77.2%), mulching (64.5%), increased frequency of weeding cropped land (67.5%), use of inorganic manure (74.2%), use of crop varieties that are well acclimated to adverse climate (45.0%), use of chemicals like herbicides and insecticides (53.8%), use of early maturing crop variety (57.5%), change of planting dates (51.2%) were the adaptive technologies been used by farmers in adapting to negative effects of climate change. Constraints to climate change adaptation included: lack of relevant information (M =4.18), low awareness level (M =3.91), irregularities of extension services with regard to climate change adaptation (M =3.88), poor government attention to climate problems (M =3.88) and inability to access available information (M =3.78). Factor analysis further grouped the constraints to adaptation into 3 factors: institutional problems, government failures and resistance to change. Findings further revealed that majority (66.8%) of the respondents were aware of the ban on indiscriminate tree felling, 64.2% were aware of ban on indiscriminate bush burning, while (58.2%) knew of promotion on afforestation as governments policies/programmes on climate change mitigation. About 42% of the respondents perceived the ban on indiscriminate tree felling as being well implemented. Further findings revealed that only 24% of the respondents in the study were aware of the existence of climate change committees in the National Assembly. The study concluded that there is need to improve access to extension and provide farm inputs that are relevant to ensure that farmers have information relevant for making informed decisions. There is need also to provide effective and reliable access to information on climate change in 9 order to dissuade the minds of farmers from spiritual angle and bring to reality the need to put hands together in the bid to salvage agricultural production.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page ii

Certification iii

Dedication iv

Acknowledgement v

Abstract vii

Table of contents viii

List of Tables x

List of Figures xi

List of pictures xii

 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background information 1

1.2 Problem statement 5

1.3 Study objectives 9

1.4 Significance of study 9

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Concepts of climate change 11

2.1.1 Greenhouse gases and global warming 12

2.1.2 Nigeria and global warming 14

2.2 Causes and impacts of climate change 16

2.2.1 Causes of climate change 16

2.2.2 Impacts of climate change 18

2.2.2.1 Impacts on agriculture 20

2.2.2.2 Impacts on health 24

2.2.3 Socio-economic impacts 25

2.4 Climate change awareness and adaptation mechanisms 26

2.4.1 Adaptation measures 29

2.5 Concepts of communication and communication channels 34

2.5.1 Characteristics of communication 37

2.5.2 Communication channels and climate change 38

2.6 Extension workers and use of communication channels 39

11

2.7 Some climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts in Nigeria 42

2.8 Conceptual framework 44

 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

3.1 Area of study 49

3.2 Population and sample 50

3.3 Data collection 51

3.4 Measurement of variables 52

3.5 Data analysis 54

3.6 Limitation of study 55

 CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

4.1 Socio-economic characteristics of respondents’ 56

4.2 Respondents’ level of climate change awareness 60

4.3 Sources of information on climate change 64

4.4 Perceived causes of climate change 65

4.5 Perceived effects of climate change on farming activities 69

4.6 Extension activities related to climate change 74

4.7 Adaptive strategies adopted by respondents’ 77

4.8 Constraints to climate change adaptation 79

4.9 Respondents perception of Government policies/programmes on

climate change 84

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND

RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Summary of findings 88

5.2 Conclusion 90

5.3 Recommendations 91

 REFERENCES 94

 APPENDIX: Interview schedule for respondents’ 102

Template for focus group discussion 108