The study assessed climate change awareness and adaptation strategies among rural farmers in southwestern Nigeria. Quantitative data on climate trends showed relatively stable temperatures but highly variable rainfall patterns in recent decades. Through surveys and interviews with 54 households, the majority of farmers reported noticing changes in climate, duration of seasons, and impacts on crop yields. Length of farming experience determined awareness of climate impacts and choice of adaptation strategies. While most farmers were aware of climate change, they live below the poverty line, so government support is needed to help farmers cope with climate-related crop losses.

1. 1,2 Ayansina Ayanlade and 2Maren Radeny
1Department of Geography, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
2CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), P. O. Box 30709-00100 Nairobi, Kenya
a.ayansina@cgiar.org, m.radeny@cgiar.org
Introduction
Despite great advancement of climate science in understanding and dealing with the problem of
climate change and its impacts on agricultural sector at the international level, awareness and
the concern for the problem at local levels, especially among the rural farmers in Africa remains
crucial.
Objective
Assess the level of awareness and
sensitivities of local farmers’ to climate
variability/change and
Identify major factors that determine
farmers’ preference for selected
adaptation technologies , using south-
western (SW) as case study
Methods
The study used both quantitative, from
climatic records and social dataset, from
questionnaires survey and Focus group
discussion. We use case studies from
Three farming villages and sites
represent the diverse farming systems in
SW ranging from mixed crop-livestock to
pastoral systems. Data were collected
from 54 households, complemented with
information from focus group discussions
(FGDs), and key informant interviews.
Conclusion
The results of the study suggest that while most farmers are aware of climate change, and
believe that its manifestations, such as increased temperatures and irregular onset and
duration of the rainy season, does exert considerable impact on crop production. There is a
need; therefore, for agricultural reformation. This will include better government policies that
provide financial aid to farmers during and after crop loss due to climate change and other
extreme climatic events. There is a need to improve accessibility to government loans and
subsidies, especially, during extreme weather events. Farmers need this kind of supports to
cope with crop losses caused by climate change.
• The results show a relatively uniform temperatures and small seasonal variations
in recent years (diurnal range of temperature is about 10°C) but the rainfall show
much more seasonal variations.
• The majority of the farmers have noticed a significant change in climate in recent
years. They also noticed change in duration of the rainy and dry seasons and their
impacts on crop yield.
Results
Climate change Awareness
• About 723% participants responded in the affirmative that climate is changing but there appear to
be a significant relationship between the length of farming experiences and farmers’ perceptions of
climate change adaptation techniques.
• There appears a strong relationship between farmers’ income, farming experiences, adaptation
strategies employ, their interest in other adaptation strategies, and the willingness of farmers to pay
for access to the adaptation strategies.
• The farmers live below the poverty level with the distribution of the monthly income of the
respondents showing higher proportions of farmers’ monthly incomes less than < $ 100. Income
significantly determines the adaptation strategies employed by the famers, their interest in other
adaptation strategies, and the willingness of these farmers to pay for access to those adaptation
strategies.
References
Boko, M., Niang, I., Nyong, A., Vogel, C., Githeko, A., Medany, M., Osman-Elasha, B., Tabo, R. & Yanda, P., (2007). Africa. Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.
Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, M. L. Parry, O. F. Canziani, J. P. Palutikof, P. J. van der Linden and
C. E. Hanson (eds). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 433–467.
Romieu E.,. Pelling M., Welle T., Vinchon C., and Schneiderbauer C. (2010) Vulnerability assessment within climate change and natural hazard contexts: revealing gaps and synergies
through coastal applications. Sustain Sci 5:159–170.
Poster design by: S.Kilungu (CCAFS) Contact: Maren Radeny: m.radeny@cgiar.org
• The length of farming experience of the farmers determines farmers’ awareness
of the impact of changing climate, the adaptation strategies employed by the
famers and their interest in other adaptation strategies.
Rural Farmers’ Attitude to Climate Change Adaptation Techniques in Southwestern Nigeria
Introduction
The scientific evidences have shown that climate change is a global issue and that one small attempt may
not significantly curb its extreme events and impacts (Romieu et. al 2010). Climate change has no
boundary, it affecting both developed and developing nations, poor and rich people are not free of its
impacts. Agriculture is paramount important in sub-Saharan Africa, special care must be taken in assessing
the dynamics of climate change as it affects agriculture sector in these regions. Despite great advancement
of climate science in understanding and dealing with the problem of climate change and its impacts on
agricultural sector at the international level, awareness and the concern for the problem at local levels,
especially among the rural farmers in Africa remains crucial. The majority of crop farming in this part of the
world are rain-fed, thus rainfall in the most important elements of climate, a change of which will be
greatly affects both crop and livestock farming. Therefore, the present study aims at assessing farmers’
awareness of climate change and their adaptive strategies at the local level. The study assesses the
variability/ change in climate and the way in which rural farmers view these changes. The study is a pilot
study from on-going Post-Doctoral research.
• The study area is the SWNigeria, a major agricultural zone in
Nigeria.
1961
1966
1971
1976
1981
1986
1991
1996
2001
2006
2011
Year
19.0
20.0
21.0
22.0
23.0
Degree C
M
in-T
em
p
30.0
31.0
32.0
33.0
Degree C
M
ax-Tem
p
900
1100
1300
1500
1700
1900
Rainfall (mm)
R
ainfall
• The farmers indicated a
medium to high preference
for the proffered
adaptation measures, with
the strongest response
coming from water-related
and nutrient related
adaptation technologies,
while low preference was
recorded for weather
related and plant
engineering adaptation
methods
Cocoa Farm
Interviews of farmers
12-14 April 2016
Addis Ababa
• Large number of the cocoa farmers noted the climate change impacts on their crops.
Personal savings, funds from cooperative societies and support from friends and family
aid recovery in the event of crop failure and losses due to climate change