Analysis of Factors Influencing Harnessing Opportunities in Climate Change for Livelihoods in Niger North Senatorial District, Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the opportunities in climate change that can be harnessed for livelihood sustainability in Niger North Senatorial  District, Niger State, Nigeria. It identified the types of threats posed by climate change in the study area and assessed the climate change  opportunities that can be harnessed for the sustainability of livelihood activities in the study area. Multi-stage sampling technique was  adopted, and 384 respondents were randomly sampled. A structured questionnaire and KII were used to gather the data. The data were  analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as percentages, means, frequency and multiple linear regression models. The  findings of the study indicated that livelihood activities in the study area are threatened by climate-induced hazards such as increased  flooding and soil erosion (48.18%,) increased temperatures and water stress (33.59%). These climatic changes lead to heat stress on crops  and livestock, reduce water availability, and exacerbate drought conditions, thus reducing agricultural yields. The finding of the  study identifies weak financial support for adopting climate change opportunities as a major issue highlighted by the pooled results across all LGAs with a significant negative coefficient of -0.50 at the 10% level, technical complexity nature is another constraint with  pooled results across all LGAs with a significant negative coefficient of -0.64 at the 5% level. The study concludes that climate change  poses significant threats to livelihood sustainability in the study area. To harness climate change opportunities for the sustainability of livelihoods, it is imperative to promote sustainable agricultural practices and enhance water management strategies and to enable the  people to harness the climate change opportunities, key challenges highlighted need to be tackled. The study recommends that  Government and climate changerelated NGOs should support the people with adequate knowledge and funding to utilize technologies   that optimize the opportunities in climate change such as rainwater harvest, dumping rain run offwater and use of solar energy for sustainability of their livelihoods.