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

Ayansina Ayanlade*, Isaac Ayo Oluwatimilehin, Adeola A. Oladimeji, Godwin Atai, Damilola T. Agbalajobi

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to Book/Report typesChapterpeer-review

Abstract (may include machine translation)

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
Subtitle of host publicationWith 610 Figures and 361 Tables
PublisherSpringer International Publishing
Pages297-313
Number of pages17
ISBN (Electronic)9783030451066
ISBN (Print)9783030451059
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2021
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

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

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