Reducing Vulnerability and Increasing Resiliency to Climate Change: Learning From Rural Communities

Abstract

Governments and the international development community generallyhave responded to various aspects of the global climate change crisis,but questions remain about whether the right actions are being pursued,how best to respond, and what the future holds. Though climate changeis a global phenomenon, without doubt, it is not a new phenomenon topeople living in rural communities in the tropics and sub-tropics. In Nigeriaas well as other parts of Africa, rural people and their communities haveover long periods of time built knowledge and developed elaboratestrategies and coping mechanism in response to threats imposed byvarious environmental changes including climate change. Despite theirvulnerability and facing greater risks, they have survived and continued toremain resilient. However, the wealth of knowledge in mitigation andadaptive strategies, which ensure the quality and sustainability of theirlivelihood under changing conditions is yet to be recognized in Nigeria’sclimate change policy formulation and implementation. While the crisis ofclimate change calls for an urgent response from national governmentsand the international community, debates revolve around the questionand possibility of creating conditions and an economy that permitsequitable and environmentally sustainable development. This paperhighlights the importance of rural people’s contributions as well asinsights into the valuable lessons they have to offer in addressing theissue of climate change.