Assessment of farm households’ vulnerability to climate change in the Niger delta region of Nigeria

Abstract

Climate change is currently an emerging problem in Nigeria. The Niger Delta region presents some vulnerability due to activities of some oil companies. This study provides an assessment of farm households’ perception of climate change and vulnerability in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The data were obtained form 381 households that were randomly selected from 3 States in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The descriptive and Probit regression analytical methods were used. Results showed that only 20.21 percent of the farmers claimed to be adversely affected by climate change in the form of increased temperature, increased rainfall, delayed rainfall and deforestation. Farming households considered themselves vulnerable to climate change due to the nature of their primary
occupation and lack of the required capital and skill for income diversification. In order to cope, majority of the respondents have resorted into weather monitoring, crop rotation and mixed farming. Also, results show that vulnerability tends to increase among those farmers that have land kept under fallowing, more livestock land, land problem, land conflict and recently sold land. It was recommended that efforts to sensitize the farmers on climate change and training on appropriate means of weather monitoring are required to reduce the negative effects of climate change, among others.

Key words: Climate - change - Vulnerability, perception - Niger Delta