Livelihood responses to climate change in the Niger-delta: implications for food security in Nigeria

Abstract

The Niger Delta produces the oil wealth that accounts for the bulk of Nigeria‘s foreign earnings. Before the 1950, agriculture was the main source of livelihoods. Today, climatic changes coupled with oil exploration activeities in the region have negatively impacted on the environment. This has resulted in the alteration of habitats, biodiversity los and pollution of water bodies. This paper assesses livelihood responses of local people to climate change and the implications for food security. The survey research design was adopted. The study covers nineteen randomly selected rural communities in Delta state. Both primary and secondary sources of data were utilized. The systematic sampling was used in selecting the final respondents who are basically household heads. The instruments of data collection were questionnaires and focus group guide. The results indicate that more than 80% of the households have diversified their livelihoods into the non-farm sector with serious implications for food security. The paper calls for support for local farmers to enhance their capacity to adapt to climate change to improve their agricultural practices.

Keywords: Livelihoods, Climate Change, Niger-Delta, Implication, Food Security