Impact of Climate Change on Rainfall Erosivity in Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria, like many other countries, is vulnerable to the effects of climate change. This study investigated the effects of climate change on rainfall erosivity in Nigeria. Changes in rainfall patterns, such as increased intensity or duration, can significantly affect erosivity. In this study, rainfall data spanning a period of 62 years, obtained from the website archive of the Climate Research Unit-Time Series v4.3 (CRU-TS v4.3) from the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom, were used to compute rainfall erosivity indices for 46 selected stations in Nigeria, across five agroecological zones of Nigeria. The processed rainfall data for the selected locations were used to develop rainfall erosivity map for Nigeria. The erosivity map developed was compared with the one produced in 2005. Values of rainfall erosivity indices ranged from 30.92 (indicating low erosion risk) in Benin City to 85.81 (signifying very severe erosion risk) in Potiskum. Notably, the Southwest agroecological zone, previously categorized as having low erosion risk, has now transitioned to moderate erosion risk zone. Meanwhile, the Southeast and Central agroecological zones persist in the moderate erosion risk category, while the Northwest and Northeast agroecological zones are predominantly classified as severe erosion risk zones. Findings of this study can improve understanding of the threats posed by climate change to Nigerian soils. This information will help in developing strategies to mitigate soil erosion and ensure sustainable land management practices.