Factors Affecting Use of Indigenous Climate Change Adaptation Strategies by Farmers in Wurno and Tambuwal Local Government Areas of Sokoto State, Nigeria

Abstract

Factors affecting the use of indigenous climate adaptation strategies by farmers in Sokoto State were assesse Data were collected with the aid a of structured questionnaire. The majority (97.6%) of the respondents are aware of climate change, experienced both changes in temperature (92.5%) and rainfall patterns over the years.  In using adaptation strategies, the majority (78.8%) of the respondents diversified their crop production, 75.6% practised intercropping and 70.6% cultivate drought-resistant crop varieties.  Change in rainfall pattern was ranked first 3.5) in the order of perception rating of the respondents on the effect of climate change on crop production.  This was closely followed by effect of poor crop yield 3.1) and poor germination  = 3.0) ranked second and third respectively. Factors affecting the use of indigenous climate change adaptation strategies revealed that age is significant  and non-farm income  jointly influenced the use of indigenous climate change adaptation strategies among others. The use of indigenous adaptation strategies to curb the effect of climate change was largely determined by age, farm annual income, farming experience, farm size and non-farm income among the farmers’ socio-economic characteristics. Farmers’ capacity should be built around the effective use of farmers’ indigenous adaptation strategies.