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The paper examined adaptation strategies used by rice processors in Ebonyi State to manage climate risks. The paper used random sampling technique to select respondents and questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. Cross-sectional data collected from 98 rice processors were analysed using descriptive statistics and multivariate probit regression model. The results indicated that majority of the rice processors perceived prolonged dry season and increased rainfall intensity as the main climate risks in the state. Livelihood diversification, storing of paddy, and reliance on climate information were the major adaptation strategies used by the rice processors to manage the climate risks. The main determinants of climate change adaptation strategies of rice processors were education, membership of cooperative societies, income, training on rice processing and climate risk management, experience of climate hazards, and ownership of assets. The processors faced various barriers to adoption which are mainly related to capital needs, competition from foreign brands, access to basic infrastructure and roads and information, high cost of labour. It is recommended that government support be given to the rice producing communities in terms of basic infrastructure and policies to protect the industry. Also, regular workshops/trainings should be held to train processors on best climate risk management practices and encourage registration of processor cooperatives/relevant associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper proceeds on the assumption that decoloniality matters in tackling the global climate crisis, conflict, and development at the community level across countries with high vulnerabilities. Africa remains one of the most vulnerable regions in the world. By examining what decolonisation means in climate adaptation and the experience of six communities in three states in the Niger Delta of Nigeria, this article contributes to the conceptualisation of the decolonial discourse of climate adaptation, development and conflict understood as conditions favourable to the crisis. I analysed qualitative data obtained from the coastal communities through observation, focus group discussions, and interviews. The results showed a reinforcement of positions in a segment of the literature on decolonial climate adaptation in communities in some parts of the world. Migration, alternative sources of livelihood, embarkment of shorelines, skills development, vocations, and infrastructure development are among legitimate adaptive measures local communities are adopting. At the same time, maladaptive measures such as piracy, kidnapping, illegal oil refining, and gangsterism are common. These antisocial behaviours lead to conflict and contribute to making climate change a very complex problem. Decolonial climate adaptation requires collaborative interventions at the level of the community, sub-national, national, and multilateral fronts. The fact that climate change is a global problem with unequal impact means that the capacity to respond well to it at the community, sub-national, national, regional, continental, and international levels is crucial in addressing the crisis. The role of decoloniality in the handling of the effects of climate change in the community may take the form of integration of local and western knowledge. The decolonial framework would appear to be elastic with a potential conceptual role of critical assessment of existing frameworks, outcomes, impact, and power relations. One of the striking messages in this analysis is the likely role of local knowledge in reducing the risk of social tension and criminal conflict, and the need to strengthen it to increase the resilience and well-being of people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The poultry sector is large and expanding in the global South, playing a central role in providing increased protein to a rapidly growing base of consumers. The sector includes small backyard farms, small commercial operations, and very large, complex enterprises. Although there is substantial literature on climate adaptation by crop farmers and large livestock farmers, such information is limited for poultry. This study focuses on the effects of higher temperatures on commercial poultry farms in southwest Nigeria and their adaptation strategies. We use a rich set of in-depth interviews to describe how poultry farmers are adapting to higher temperatures and their reasons for adopting particular practices. In general, interviewees are aware that temperatures have increased over time and that heat stress reduces poultry productivity in terms of weight gain and laying capacity. They are knowledgeable and are not passively enduring the adverse effects of higher temperatures as they have adopted a range of adaptation practices. This study identified three main adaptation strategies: (i) keeping drinking water cool, (ii) keeping the building cool and increasing ventilation, and (iii) giving birds medicines and supplements that help them cope with increased heat. Small farms tend to adopt simple and low-cost practices, and large farms tend to adopt more sophisticated and expensive approaches, in line with the nature of their respective operations. The paper's findings can help address gaps in strategies aiming to help this critically important sector of the food system be robust to future environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic recession often exacerbates the effects of poverty on agrarian communities in Nigeria. This paper examined the effects of economic recession on female farmers and coping strategies they employed. It explored the effects of the crisis on their income, farm size, livelihood and welfare aspects such as feeding, schooling of their children and health care. The study was conducted in Ondo State, Nigeria. Primary data were used. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to administer 100 copies of the questionnaires on females in rural agrarian households in the study area. The obtained data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square and Likert scale analysis. The findings showed that the economic recession resulted in poor health care, inadequate feeding, poor income and school dropouts. Major factors that helped the women to cope were land ownership security/access to land, introduction of new crops, marital status and educational status. These factors are crucial as their Chi-square values and Likelihood Ratios were significant at one percent probability level (P < 0.01). The research concludes that educated females as well as married women and women possessing secured land tenure coped better in times of economic crisis. The paper thus recommends increased investments by governments in the agricultural sector to help curtail the inflation in food prices and increasing women access to land and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last 15 years, a set of ideas now referred to as "thinking and working politically" (TWP) has coalesced into a "second orthodoxy" about how to take context into account when implementing development interventions. This approach stresses the importance of obtaining a better understanding of the local context ("thinking politically") in order to support local actors to bring about sustainable developmental change ("working politically"). However, the evidence base to justify this new approach remains thin, despite a growing number of programmes which purport to be implementing it. Officials in development agencies struggle with putting it into practice and it is unclear how TWP differs—or not—from similar approaches, such as Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) and Doing Development Differently (DDD). This Special Issue sheds light on what TWP means in practice by examining a set of initiatives undertaken by both development partners and government departments in Nigeria, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, China and India. This overview article outlines, in brief, each of the Special Issue's four papers and then draws out five lessons—for funders and for practitioners—from across all the papers. Our five lessons are: (1) the fundamental importance of undertaking political economy analysis (PEA) to adapt programmes to their contexts; (2) the importance of having a realistic level of ambition for interventions; (3) the need to support local ownership—not just "agreement ownership" (between a donor agency and government) or local "management ownership" of the programme, but critically "driver ownership" by generating trust with the key local actors driving change; (4) the need for a more effective set of tools for measuring results in complex programmes that attempt to achieve improvements in long‐run governance; and, (5) that although the political economy of donors is often seen as a barrier to applying TWP, the articles show how much can be done with a TWP approach if the analysis takes into account the political economy of donors as well as that of the local context. We conclude with a set of operational recommendations for donors and implementors, as well as suggestions of avenues for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examined coping and adaptation strategies employed by smallholder farmers and their efficacy in response to climate change in Zango and Kofa communities in North-Western Nigeria. Three focus group discussions with 51 participants comprising men, women, and the youth, and 15 follow-up interviews were conducted in this study to understand the influence of cultural beliefs on climate change adaptation. Results show that to adapt, farmers borrow food from neighbours to repay in good season, use early maturing crops, sell livestock and other assets, engage in other businesses. Farmers also offer prayers and sacrifices based on the belief that climate change is caused by God. Thus, offering prayer and making sacrifices were very pronounced and found to be the dominant strategies farmers adopt in both communities which could potentially lead to less adaptation action thereby indirectly exposing the vulnerable communities to additional shocks. We found that most (50% and above) of the participating farmers in both communities had no access to any formal education which could affect their adaptation decisions. We concluded that farmers' cultural beliefs and practices such as prayer influences their adaptation behaviour and therefore adaptation designs need to address cultural influences to avoid future maladaptive responses consequently exacerbating vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Yuzuncu Yil Universitesi Journal of Agricultural Sciences (YYU J Agr Sci) is the property of Yuzuncu Yil University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper examined climate change adaptation strategies in fish farming and the effect of such methods on the profit of fish farmers in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, Africa's most populous country. Using cross‐sectional data obtained from 420 fish farmers from the region and applying multivariate probit and instrumental variable regressions, the study found that fish farmers have adopted a broad range of strategies to address climate risk and that these have significantly increased farmers' profit. Our findings indicated important relationships between certain farm, socio‐economic and institutional characteristics and the adaptation actions. The study provides useful insight into factors that potentially encourage the adoption of livelihood‐enhancing climate risk adaptation strategies by fish farmers in the Niger Delta region and similar contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study looked at socio-economic factors that affect how farmers of arable crops adapt to climate variability. Using a multistage sample strategy, a structured interview was conducted to gather information from 150 farmers in rural communities across the local governments in the study area. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including chi-square and Pearson Product Moment Correlation, were utilized to analyse the study's data. The research showed that farmers’ socio-economic characteristics influence adaptation strategies. Household size (χ2=179.3), and farm size (χ2=136.4) positively influence adaptation strategies to be adopted by farmers at p<0.05. Additionally, there was a strong correlation between farmers' perceptions of climate variability and adaptation strategies (r=0.591, p<0.05). According to the study's findings, farmers' perceptions of climate unpredictability and socio-economic characteristics have a significant impact on their adaptation strategies. The study recommended that climate variability awareness and sensitization should be put in place at the Local, State, and Federal government level to have a community whereby the farmers are adeptly aware of the causes and effects of climate variability in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research offers an economic assessment of climate change impacts on the four major crop families characterizing Nigerian agriculture. The evaluation is performed by shocking land productivity in a computable general equilibrium model tailored to replicate Nigerian economic development up to 2050. The detail of land uses in the model has been increased by differentiating land types per agro-ecological zones. Uncertainty about future climate is captured, using, as inputs, yield changes computed by a crop model under ten general circulation models runs. Climate change turns out to be negative for Nigeria in the medium term, with production losses and increase in crop prices, higher food dependency on foreign imports, and GDP losses in all the simulations after 2025. In a second part of the paper, a cost effectiveness analysis of adaptation in Nigerian agriculture is conducted. The adaptation practices considered are a mix of cheaper "soft measures" and more costly "hard" irrigation expansion. The main result is that the cost effectiveness of the whole package depends crucially on the possibility of implementing adaptation by exploiting low-cost opportunities which show a benefit-cost ratio larger than one in all the climate regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nigeria is home to a wide variety of indigenous goat breeds, each of which has evolved to fit its particular environment and is an important genetic resource. Indigenous goat production is intertwined with the lifestyle of Nigerians. The Nigerian livestock industry employs the bulk of the rural work-force, and indigenous goat breeds are abundant in the industry. These breeds are distributed across the diverse agro-ecological production systems, and are carriers of unique and responsive genotypes shaped by the needs of their managers. Despite their unique features, most indigenous goat breeds are characteristically low in production and productivity. Improvement of these breeds represents a logical starting point for improving food security and agricultural productivity in Nigeria. To better understand natural genetic diversity in the indigenous goat breeds and strategies for improvement, better genetic characterization is required. For conservation of Nigeria indigenous goats' breeds germplasm and subsequent improvements; livestock preservation, frozen semen and frozen embryos approaches should be employed. Short tandem repeats (STRs), simple sequence repeats (SSR), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and microsatellite makers are suitable for molecular characterization of goat germplasm. However, the conservation of the Nigerian breeds of goats' germplasm are valuable towards improvement and specialization without losing the valuable qualitative and quantitative traits especially adaptability and disease resistance. The germplasm conservation techniques will be valuable in the pursuit of selection for increased production, but the application of the various tools for livestock improvement is constrained by a variety of limitations. The focus of this paper is to elucidate the potential of the genetic diversity by the conservation of their germplasms as a tool for genetic improvement of indigenous goats. Germplasm of indigenous goat breeds from Nigeria was examined in this thorough review, emphasizing their significance, genetic traits, difficulties, and potential for sustainable agriculture and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic impact of climate change, especially in Africa, is tremendous. As Africans battle with severe weather conditions like floods and droughts, their limited infrastructure is overstretched and, in most cases, cannot withstand the impact. The rains are flooding cities in Nigeria as drought ravages cities in South Africa. When events like these occur, people look to the media for information, and studies have shown that the media can influence public perception of climate change through the way they frame the issue. Using the issue-specific frames of mitigation and adaptation, this study analysed Nigerian and South African newspapers' coverage of climate change. The study spanned 9 months (January-September 2018), and the online editions of The Punch, Leadership, Mail & Guardian and News Everyday were content-analysed quantitatively using tables and frequencies, and qualitatively, using verbatim quotes. A total of 90 stories were obtained from the four newspapers, with the straight news format as the most used story genre. The major sources of news stories on climate change were the reporters, followed by experts/private individuals. The adaptation frame was the most used, showing that the African media understands the need to mobilise citizens locally for a collective fight against climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The savanna region of Africa is a potential breadbasket of the continent but is severely affected by climate change. Understanding farmers' perceptions of climate change and the types of adjustments they have made in their farming practices in response to these changes will offer some insights into necessary interventions to ensure a successful adaptation in the region. This paper explores how smallholder farmers in the Nigerian savanna perceive and adapt to climate change. It is based on a field survey carried out among 200 smallholder farm households selected from two agro-ecological zones. The results show that most of the farmers have noticed changes in climate and have consequently adjusted their farming practices to adapt. There are no large differences in the adaptation practices across the region, but farmers in Sudan savanna agro-ecological zone are more likely to adapt to changes in temperature than those in northern Guinea savanna. The main adaptation methods include varying planting dates, use of drought tolerant and early maturing varieties and tree planting. Some of the farmers are facing limitations in adapting because of lack of information on climate change and the suitable adaptation measures and lack of credit. The study then concludes that to ensure successful adaptation to climate change in the region, concerted efforts are needed to design and promote planned adaptation measures that fit into the local context and also to educate farmers on climate change and appropriate adaptation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prophecy and prophetism are important elements of liturgical activities in the African indigenous churches in Nigeria. For the adherents of these churches, prophecy has not ceased in that God still communicates with them. This background therefore justifies the emphasis placed on prophetic activities in the indigenous churches in Nigeria. The goal of this paper is to critically examine the influence of the traditional Yoruba culture and religion in the expression of prophetic phenomena and on prophetic personages in these churches. As corollary the paper will also explore how these churches' concept of prophetic inspiration, call, and the inducement of the psychic states have been shaped by the Yoruba religio-cultural milieu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change continues to affect food production and farmers incur additional costs to adopt appropriate adaptation strategies to combat its effects and attain food security. To enhance adaptive and sustainable coping strategies and food security, it is necessary to study the opportunity costs of implementing climate adaptations and how they influence the net revenue of farmers. Therefore, the study empirically investigates adaptation to climate change and the net revenue of cassava farmers in Southwest Nigeria. The primary data used for this study were collected through a well-structured questionnaire for 221 respondents. The analytical methods used were descriptive statistics, paired sample tests, and multiple regression. Analysis revealed that the majority (55%) of the sampled cassava farmers employed planting different varieties and using agrochemicals as their main adaptation strategies. The results revealed that insufficient funding and labour shortage were the main barriers to adaptation in the study area. The results of opportunity cost on net revenue and costs using paired samples test revealed that cassava farmers derived and perceived the utility and the net benefits using adaptation measures than when it is not used. The result of the regression showed that climate variables such as adaptation options, rainfall, and access to climate information are co-joint with socioeconomic and production factors to determine the average net revenue in the area. Therefore, the study suggests that the costs of adaptation resources should be subsidized by the government at affordable prices for the farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change negatively impacts rice productivity in different parts of Africa. As a matter of necessity, farmers must respond to changing the climate by choosing adaptation strategies that increase their productivities. Incidentally, studies that documented the impact of climate change adaptation actions of farmers on rice productivity are few. This study therefore analyzed the impact of climate change adaptation decisions of farmers on the profitability of rice production using cross-sectional data gathered from 240 rice farmers selected from Ebonyi State, an important rice-producing State in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country. Using descriptive statistics, multivariate probit regression, instrumental variable regression and endogenous treatment effect model, the study revealed that the common adaptation actions of rice farmers involved adoption of minimum tillage, bond and drainage, fertilizer, crop diversification, livelihood diversification, improved rice varieties, pesticide, nursery, and adjusting planting and harvesting dates. The study found several significant interactions between the choice of climate change adaptation actions and socio-economic, farm, institutional and location characteristics of rice farmers. The result further revealed that multiple adaptation decisions of farmers significantly increased returns to scale and profit of rice production. The study concludes that adaptation decisions are effective in increasing the profitability and returns to scale of rice production in the area and other regions with similar geographical, meteorological and socio-economic contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Belgrade is the property of University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Basically, climate change refers to any modify in climate overtime, generally caused by natural variability and/or human activities. It has great devastating impact, particularly on agriculture and by extrapolation on farmers and the national economy. The frontline agricultural extension workers are expected to be among the principal stakeholders to teach farmers how to cope with climate change. Consequently, there is a need to develop appropriate teaching package for the training of the frontline agricultural extension workers, based on the myriad of adaptation strategies and practices available in the bibliography. This paper synthesizes the rationale for capacity building in climate change and the adaptation or coping strategies. The modules (train-the-trainer) for teaching agricultural extension workers and farmers also are documented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change will have a strong impact on Nigeria, particularly on agricultural production and associated livelihoods. Although there is a growing scientific consensus about the impact of climate change, efforts so far in Nigeria to deal with these impacts are still rudimentary and not properly coordinated. There is little evidence of any pragmatic approach towards tracking climate change in order to develop an evidence base on which to formulate national adaptation strategies. Although Nigeria is not alone in this regard, the paper asserts that National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy could help address this situation by guiding the integration of climate change adaptation into government policies, strategies, and programs, with particular focus on the most vulnerable groups and the agricultural sectors. There is an urgent need to adopt abatement strategies that will provide economic incentives to reduce the risk from disasters, such as developing agricultural practices that are more resilient to a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the perception of climate change-related disasters and their impact on household food security in rural farm households in Imo State, Nigeria. Studies have consistently shown an association between climate change and food insecurity in different parts of the world. However the impact of climate change varies over time and space and therefore cannot be generalized. If household food security is to be secured in Imo State, it becomes imperative to identify the specific climate change related disasters that adversely affect household food security as well as the intervention priorities in specific communities. The study utilizes descriptive analytical tools to analyze the data from 186 farm households across four agricultural communities in the state. Findings reveal that excessive rainfall leading to flooding is the most prevalent climate change-related disaster, followed by excessive heat and irregular rainfall patterns. A significant majority of respondents attribute household food insecurity to these climate change-related disasters at high or very high levels. Various mitigation strategies adopted by households include changes in farming practices, irrigation methods, crop replacement, and land modification techniques. The study also identifies top priorities for government intervention as improving drainage and irrigation systems, establishing community weather forecast centers, and providing fertilizer subsidies. Additionally, enhancing hedging technology and pest/disease control strategies were recognized as important interventions. The study emphasizes the importance of tailored interventions, continuous data collection, and awareness campaigns to enhance agricultural resilience and ensure food security in the face of climate change impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mustafa Kemal University Journal of Agricultural Sciences / Mustafa Kemal Üniversitesi Tarım Bilimleri Dergisi is the property of Mustafa Kemal University, Faculty of Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This research aims to explore the impacts of climate change on communities in low-income countries. A review of the literature on this important and pressing global topic is presented. Since this issue is multidimensional and complex, we try to approach it comprehensively. The social quality scientific perspective has specific affinity with traditional African "holistic thinking." The empirical part of our research concerns a study in northern Nigeria on rural residents' perceptions of various aspects of environmental changes caused by climate change, and the impacts on the social quality of their daily lives. The protective effects of a community development project (the National Climate Change Policy Response, NCCPR) are also explored. Farmers appear to be the most vulnerable group. Climate change significantly compromises their socioeconomic security, personal security, well-being, and health. We conclude that communities in low-income countries will continue to suffer disproportionally from various kinds of climate-caused disasters. Community development projects have the potential to decrease their vulnerabilities. This article justifies a strong normative plea to the countries that have caused the human misery depicted to take responsibility by contributing to restoration payments and enforcing sustainable behavior of CO2-emitting industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper investigates the perceived and observed trends of associated health risks with seasonal climate variability and identifies types of and preference for adaptation strategies that are available at households and community levels in Oke-Ogun region, Nigeria. The study made use of household survey and rapid appraisal through focus group discussion and key informant interviews. For a short term climate–health impacts analysis, cases of notable diseases were correlated with monthly mean temperature and rainfall for the period 2006 and 2008. The findings show similar trends in relation to local perception on climate–health risks and observed cases of some notable diseases during seasonal changes. Diarrhea, measles and malaria were prevalent during dry season, while flu cases increased at the onset of harmattan and monsoon of rainy season. Available adaptation strategies are autonomous, mostly in the form of treatment measures such as consultation with medical officers in hospitals (17.5%), self-medication (34%) and use of traditional therapy such as herbs (48.5%). Traditional therapy is mostly preferred and approved based on long-term experience of the study population. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This essay explores the connection between adaptation and parable in Chigozie Obioma's debut novel The Fishermen (2015). Obioma's adaptation of parable revises this narrative form as radically relational. This revision of parable is tied to an equally relational understanding of adaptive processes. Using parable as the frame for its complex mixture of Igbo and Yoruba mythology, Biblical stories, and Greek and Roman myth, among others, enables the novel to reinterpret all these sources in the context of postcolonial Nigeria. This process thereby challenges the belief that we can dispel colonial power structures by simply rejecting canonical stories and their discursive frameworks and it suggests, instead, a notion of identity as relational and transient. Ultimately, the novel proposes an ethics of relationality that can help to re-assess processes of revision and their political and cultural impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tropicultura is the property of Agri-Overseas asbl and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Hydrokinetic energy conversion systems utilize the kinetic energy of flowing water bodies with little or no head to generate other useable forms of energy. In the last few years various research and development efforts have been made to bring out this technology from the proof of concept stage and to demonstrate its technical feasibility and potential to be deployed for the supply of stand-alone/off-grid electric power production. Being also a variant of the small hydropower scheme, which are usually site specific, much of the studies done on the technology are suited to specific sites and the peculiar hydrology of those localities. This paper, thus, explores this new emerging technology and its prospects, potentials, challenges and frameworks for its adaptation in Nigerian hydrological setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine the level of awareness of Niger Delta communities about impacts of climate change and to identify and document indigenous innovations and practices for adaptation to climate change by farmers in the region. Three states were randomly selected from the nine states that make up the Niger Delta. Multistage sampling technique was used to interview 400 heads of farming households in Cross Rivers, Delta and Rivers States. Analysis of the data utilized simple descriptive statistics, while the results were presented as tables, figures and charts. Two single sex Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted in each of the survey states giving a total of six FGDs. Data from the FGDs complemented the survey results. Findings of this study showed that about 90 % of respondents were aware of climate change and its impacts. The results further indicate that the farmers have practiced some innovative indigenous measures for climate change adaptation for many years. It was also noted that the identified indigenous adaptive strategies which have Science, Technology and Innovation policy relevance could inform the design and implementation of future Agricultural, Development and Climate Change Policy in the region. Lastly, policy recommendations are made to improve climate change awareness and adaptation to climate change impacts in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the impact of climate change adaptation strategies on the welfare status of aquaculture fish farmers in Southwest, Nigeria. Multistage sampling procedure was used in the selection of 288 respondents. To account for selection bias due to both observable and unobservable factors where more than two options arise, the multinomial endogenous switching regression model was used to analyze the collected data. The empirical findings revealed that level of education brought about increase in the probability of adopting bore-hole construction, stocking time adjustment and embankment creation as adaptation strategies to climate change. Also, adoption of stocking time adjustment and embankment creation by the adopters increased food security index by 106.1 and 16.9%, respectively. Furthermore, adoption of stocking time adjustment in the adopters' category reduced the poverty gap by 87.2%. It is, therefore, recommended that policies which promote adoption of climate change adaptation strategies (especially stocking time adjustment and bore-hole construction being the strategies with the highest impact) should be formulated since they are capable of increasing welfare of aquaculture fish farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the public draws most of its information on scientific issues from the media, studies of media coverage of climate change have proliferated. Here, we analyze whether newspapers in developing countries frame climate action as an adaptation or mitigation issue. Mitigation refers to activities to reduce or prevent carbon emissions whereas adaptation refers to activities to adjust economic and social systems to the effects of climate change. To this end, we conduct a comparative quantitative analysis of climate change news framing in newspapers from two carbon locked-in developing countries: Nigeria and Turkey. Our first research question is whether newspapers in the two countries frame climate change as a mitigation or adaptation issue. Our second research question is whether there is a relationship between the use of foreign sources and the use of a mitigation frame. We find more adaptation framing in Nigerian newspapers whereas adaptation and mitigation frames are more evenly seen in Turkish newspapers. We also find that the use of foreign sources in news with a climate action frame is negatively correlated with the use of an adaptation frame in our sample. Our findings improve understanding of the factors shaping climate change communication in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Belgrade is the property of University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study examined vulnerability and adaptation to water scarcity in three towns located within three rainfall zones of Katsina state, Nigeria, using a questionnaire survey of 360 households, which was complimented with FGD and field-based observations, and use of vulnerability assessment indices. The results showed that the households are generally experiencing high vulnerability to water scarcity. The vulnerability is increasing from the south to the northern rainfall zones of the state. The households employ multiple strategies in adapting to water scarcity. The strategies employed, however, vary clearly among the households and between the three rainfall zones. Demand-side adaptation strategies are the ones being employed most, with fewer households employing supply-side management strategies. The key factors limiting adaptation to water scarcity in the areas were technological, social, economic and political/institutional in nature. Suggestions were made toward evolving an integrated approach for improved water scarcity adaptation in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate induced events exacerbate food production and distribution risks, posing a threat to global food security. Though many studies focus on farmer adaptation to climate change, there are few studies of actors in the middle of agricultural value chains such as traders, logistics providers, and processors. The activities of these actors, referred to as the 'hidden middle', are key determinants of the prices received by farmers and the price and quality of food products for consumers. We explore how climate events and risk perceptions affect the adoption of value‐adding and damage control strategies among maize traders in Nigeria, Africa's largest economy and most populous country. We find consistent evidence that climate events and climate risk perception discourage the adoption of value‐adding practices including storage. This potentially affects the availability and price of maize for consumers (household and industry) in the lean season. However, once traders store maize, climate risk does not affect the adoption of damage control, but training and social networks do. These findings suggest that actors in the midstream of food value chains are responding to climate change and more attention needs to be paid to these actors to maintain the availability of affordable and safe maize products throughout the year. There is also a need for strategies to reduce the risks of trading activities due to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the wake of deepened situations of changing climate, a clear understanding of the perceived impacts and adaptation of climate variability and change on livelihoods of vegetable farmers in Western and Eastern Africa, which is not readily available, is critical for sustainable vegetable production in Africa. Development planning for climate change vulnerability and adaptation assessment was utilised in the study. Using multi-stage sampling procedure, 193 vegetable farmers in selected sites prominent for vegetable production from Uganda, Ghana and Nigeria were used. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance and linear regression at α0.05. Awareness of climate variability and change was high among most respondents from the three countries, but highest among respondents from Uganda (78.3%). Awareness was highest for long dry spell ( x ¯ = 1.90) and drought ( x ¯ = 1.81) and lowest for harmful gas emissions ( x ¯ = 0.76). Changes in climate variability and trends were perceived to be highest in terms of flood volume/damage caused by flood to farmlands in Nigeria ( x ¯ = 3.85) and Uganda ( x ¯ = 5.0), but in terms of increased temperature for Ghana ( x ¯ = 4.93). Impact of climate-related changes on vegetable farming was high in Ghana (98.3%) and Nigeria (46.6%) but low in Uganda (5.0%). Awareness (β = 0.14), perception (β = 0.15) use of adaptation strategies (β = 0.10) and household size (β = − 0.19) predicted change in perceived impact of climate variability among vegetable farmers. Vegetable farmers in Nigeria, Ghana and Uganda are affected differently by climate variability. Farmers in these countries also have different priorities for adaptation strategies. Locality-specific climate adaptation strategies would help ease farmers burden due to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many world cities, flood incidences are on the increase due to climate change and increasing urbanization. Relying on structural flood control measures is becoming unsustainable, and new approaches revolving around improved land use planning, relocation, proofing, forecasting, warning and insurance are being advocated. These new measures require increasing understanding of the socioeconomic, cultural and political drivers that influence city dwellers' flood risks perception and adaptation. Unfortunately, public perception of flood risk and flood risk information is often overlooked when developing flood risk management plans. For Many cities, not much is known about peoples' flood risk awareness and perception, how much resilient they are, what adaptive capacities they possess and what socioeconomic, cultural and political drivers influence their risk perception and adaptive capacities. This was investigated in Katsina city of Nigeria through a questionnaire survey of 290 households, complemented with field observations and interviews. Results showed that the respondents in general have a fairly good perception of the nature, causes and consequences of flooding. However, flood-conveying structures were inadequate, with the few in most cases largely being used as waste-disposal sites. There was inadequate coordination between institutional stakeholders responsible for physical planning, waste and emergency management in the area. The respondents undertake some small-scale, ineffectively coordinated household-level proactive actions to minimize flood impacts, but no community-level flood early warning system exists. These create high flood-risks in the area and limit the flood resilience. Socio-cultural and income factors were the main determinants of flood adaptation, as the larger households with heads that are older and richer adopt more adaptation. However, there is general over-reliance on institutional bodies to provide and maintain flood-resilience promoting structures in the study area. Recommendation was made that a system needs to be put in place to incorporate some more robust preventive actions to bring about flexibility in flood management. To particularly be incorporated here include improved early warming, synchronous functioning of stakeholders, adequate physical planning, urban renewal, effective urban governance including harnessing of local social capital, increased community collaborative actions and use of local knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptation is crucial to combating the adverse effect of climate variability thus reducing farmers’ vulnerability. This study was carried out to investigate the vulnerability and adaptation strategies of rural farmers to climate variability in Oyo State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used and 160 respondents were selected across the four agriculture zones in the State. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, livelihood vulnerability index, and correlation analysis. Vulnerability assessment of the respondents showed that Oyo zone had the highest vulnerability index (0.72). The major components contributing to households’ vulnerability to climate variability in the four zones were lack of financial capital (63.23%) and lack of physical assets (20.3%). Result further showed that the most practiced adaptation strategies by the respondents across the four zones include mulching (85.13%), preparation of ridges and furrow (80%) and changing of planting dates to suitable time (83.75%). However, climate mitigation practices such as agro-forestry (1.6%), organic fertilizer use (21.66%) and irrigation (0.83) were not common in Saki, Oyo and Ogbomoso zones. The study revealed that climatic variables significantly affected the total farm income realized in the study area and that most of the farm households were vulnerable to climate variability and were food insecure. It is therefore recommended that, adaptive strategies such as irrigation, organic fertilizer use and agro-forestry should be encouraged among farmers in order to mitigate climatic variations and enhance higher productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though climate events pose increasing challenges for crop and animal production in Africa, most climate adaptation studies focus on staple food crops. Few studies have examined climate adaptation for livestock with even fewer looking at small animals such as poultry. Heat stress associated with climate change is a severe challenge to poultry farmers due to its negative effect on chicken growth and productivity. As poultry plays an important food security role across Africa (being a source of livelihood and an important source of animal protein), understanding how farmers deal with the realities of poultry production due to climate change is critical. This study explores the level and determinants of the adoption of climate change adaptation strategies among poultry farmers in Nigeria. A multivariate probit analysis (which allows for the possibility that the decision to adopt various practices are jointly made) reveals that while poultry farmers are adapting to climate change, there is a clear heterogeneity of adaptation strategies at different production scales. Small farms tend to invest in traditional strategies such as the stocking of local breeds while medium and large farms adopt modern technologies such as air and water ventilation as well as the use of low energy bulbs that emit less heat. Our study finds that farmers who have experienced heat-related losses are more likely to adopt modern practices and more likely to adopt multiple adaptation strategies concurrently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate variability has serious effects on the livelihood of rural people who depend on agriculture. The dependency of local people on agriculture and its significant contribution to their socio well-being makes the situation more critical. The study examined the impact of climate variability on livelihood o communities around Kamuku National Park (KNP) Birni-Gwari, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Data for the study were collected with the use of structured questionnaire administered to 280 house heads in 8 villages (Birnin-Gwari, Mando, Doka, Bugai, Dagara, Sabolayi, Kakagngi) around the Park. The result reveal that majority of the respondent had little knowledge on the cause of climate variability. They are aware of the changes in climatic variables of their areas in terms of increase in temperature, changes in rainfall pattern and intensity. The Communities perceived decline in agricultural production as a major impact of climate variability. Other impacts perceived are shortage of water for irrigation, household and animal consumption, cases of diseases in human, plant and animals, decrease in soil fertility and migration of youths. The study recommended awareness on climate variability to the communities on causes and effect of climate variability, awareness on climate variability and its impact on livelihood must be raised in the communities. People are experiencing changing climate but they don't know the cause and consequences of it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study analysed the challenges farmers face in adapting to climate change in Anambra State, Nigeria. The study adopted the multistage sampling technique in selecting a cross section of two hundred and forty farmers. Cross-sectional data collected with the aid of a structured questionnaire was collected was analysed using descriptive statistics. The result revealed that that the average farm size, years spent in school, and age of the farmers was 0.85 ha, 11.35years and 57.82 years respectively. The major adaptation measures of farmers to climate change were mixed cropping (100%), crop rotation (86.7%), applications of fertilizers (82.1%), use of sand bags (83.3%). There are fifteen major challenges to agricultural adaptation to climate change. The most common constraints include lack of finance, inadequate information and absence of early warning systems, and lack of capacity of extension service to build the resilience of farmers on climate change. The study suggests that farmers' access to credit should be increased to enhance their ability to respond to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent times, global agricultural productivity has been increasingly affected by climate change. It is believed that societal adoption of insurance as an adaptive response to climate change can have significant implications for insurers. The study investigates empirically insurers' perceptions of climate change and the challenges they face in Nigeria. It examines the proposition that insurance firms in Nigeria are not mindful of the impact of climate change. The study applied the use of descriptive statistics, Kendall's coefficient of concordance and principal component analysis on collected primary data. It was found that insurers in Nigeria were highly aware of climate change and its impact but did not believe it affects their operational costs and payments of claims. Although there is great scope for insurers to increase their client base in the Nigerian market, insurers face challenges of insurance rate-cutting, low patronage and environmental factors. The study concludes that there is a need for insurance regulators to enforce a level playing field for all firms. It also advocates for public support of private insurers to enhance insurance coverage for agriculture, the largest employer of labour in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on the impacts of climate change on the livelihoods of some selected rural communities of Kaduna state, and the adaptation strategies employed by the people to ameliorate the scourge of climate change. Data for this study were obtained from a direct field study based on the result of 426 questionnaires that were administered to household heads. Descriptive statistics was used to describe the socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents. A five point Likert scale was used to determine the impacts of climate change and adaptation strategies employed by the rural communities. Focus Group Discussions were also held in each Local Government Area in order to obtain in-depth information on the changing climate. The study identified decline in crop yields with a mean score (x¯) of 4.01, increased sickness (x¯= 3.85), decrease in soil fertility (x¯= 3.83), decline in forest resources (x¯ = 3.66) as the most significant impacts of climate change in the area; whereas use of fertilizer/animals dung (x¯ = 3.89), water harvesting (x¯-3.68), planting of economic trees and drought resistant crops (x¯= 3.25) among others were the most significant and sustainable adaptation strategies adopted by the rural people. The study recommended that awareness programs on climate change challenges should be intensified, and probabilistic analysis of observed rainfall data in order to provide information about the beginning, the end and length of the rainy season, and the amount of available water during the season. Lastly, sustainable adaptation strategies employed by the rural people should be strengthened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climate is changing and global mean temperatures have increased this is expected to have profound effects on food security. Long-term changes in climate will disproportionately affect tropical regions, meaning poor farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa will likely bear the brunt of adverse impacts. Adaptation plays an important role in reducing vulnerability to climate change and is therefore critical and of concern in developing countries, particularly in Africa where vulnerability is high because ability to adapt is low. This study examined farmers' strategies for adapting to climate change in Ogbomoso agricultural zone of Oyo State of Nigeria. One hundred and fifty farmers were interviewed to obtain information from using a multistage sampling procedure. The results of the study showed that the types of climate change identified in the study area were delayed on-set of rainfall (38.0 percent), higher temperature (20.0 percent) and less rain (17.3 percent). The outcome of climate change were food shortage (41.3 percent), decline in livestock yield (30.7 percent), decline in crop yield (28.7 percent) and death of livestock (16.0 percent). The identified actions taken to address climate change are growing a new crop (57.4 percent), adoption of drought tolerant/ resistance crop varieties (50.0 percent), diversification from crops to livestock production (40.7 percent) and using of new land management practices. The long-term improvement investments commonly adapted in the study area were tree planting/agroforestry, mulching/surface cover, improved fallowing and fallowing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate Change (CC) and variability are global issues that the world has been facing for a long time. Given the recent catastrophic events, such as flooding, erosion, and drought in Nigeria, many have questioned institutions' capacity in managing CC impacts in Nigeria. This study explores emerging institutional barriers of adaptation to CC effects on water resources in Nigeria. The study data were obtained from in-depth interviews with institutional heads from water resources management and emergency management and a review of secondary literature from databases such as Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science. The results show that inadequate hydrological data management, low awareness on how to adapt among the public and decision-makers, financial constraints, no political will to pass important bills into law, and inadequate institutional and legal framework are the main institutional barriers of adaptation to climate change in Nigeria. The study concludes that it is essential to strengthen the institutional and legal system, information management mechanism, public awareness, and participatory water resources management. The implications for further research are presented in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective climate adaptation in sub-Saharan African agriculture will require coordination across multiple scales of governance. Decision-makers from local to national scales will be tasked with planning under conditions of high uncertainty, often with minimal data. Participatory scenario planning is a method for devising adaptation strategies under high uncertainty, and we hypothesized that it could also be used for identifying systemic, inclusive, and transformative adaptation options at the community scale, and for highlighting opportunities for cross-scalar collaboration. We conducted scenario exercises with two communities in southeastern Nigeria that have experienced increasing flooding and other challenges linked to climate variability. Both communities identified drivers of change that intersect with climate, as well as community-scale actions that would improve adaptation to a range of future scenarios. We found evidence that scenario exercises can stimulate communities to develop transformative approaches to climate adaptation that seek to reduce climate risk by creating new systems and processes. We also found that community-identified priorities for strategic action highlight how larger-scale interventions could coordinate with communities to adapt more effectively. Participatory scenario planning is therefore a potentially important tool for adaptation planning in regions in which future conditions are highly uncertain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provision of data and information for disaster risk reduction is increasingly important to enable resilience. However, the focus of provision in many African countries is limited to national scale risk assessment and meteorological data. The research aimed to consider the perspectives on availability and access to information of different local urban actors that require reliable and specific information to make informed decisions. The research used workshop discussions and questionnaires to collect views from stakeholders in flood risk management in Nigerian cities about their current access to information and requirements. The results confirmed that stakeholders and communities agree in recognising the importance of climate information. Findings identified issues surrounding communication between agencies, government and technical experts. The role of the media and business in filling the vacuum left by state provision of information was further highlighted, demonstrating the potential for Private Public Partnerships in supporting adaptation and response to flooding. However, significant differences in access between sub-groups were also revealed such that some marginalised groups may be excluded from information. It follows that climate services, data and information provision need to be collaboratively designed in order to be more inclusive, meet user requirements and build community capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]