Traditional Perceptions of Climate Change Phenomenon Influencing Adaptation Decisions among Women Crop Farmers in Southern Nigeria
Keywords:
adaptation decision, , traditional perception, rural women, crop farmersAbstract
The study assessed traditional perceptions of climate change phenomenon influencing adaptation decision and responses among rural women crop farmers in southern Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 420 rural women crop farmers for the study. Questionnaire administration through the use of ODK collect, Focused group discussion (FGD) and In depth interview (IDI) was used to collect data. Analyses of data was done usescriptive statistics and Binary Logit regression. Relatively good proportion (89%) had deliberately taken decision to adapt to climate change with 81% supporting their decision with action by utilizing available climate change adaptation strategies. Approximately 86% indicated that the nature of climate change knowledge possessed affect their response to climate change. The belief that climate change is too complex to understand (X?= 2.83), caused solely by man’s carelessness over his environment (X? = 2.97) and rainfall and temperature variation (X? = 3.07) were the major traditional perceptions of climate change influencing adaptation decisions among rural women. Rural women traditional perception of climate change was found to influence their decision to adapt to climate change. Knowledge building through training workshops on climate change is key to stimulating right adaptation decision and action among rural women crop farmers.References
Adger, W. N., Dessai, S., Goulden, M., Hulme M., Lorenzoni, I., Nelson, D.R., Naess, L.O., Wolf, J. & Wreford, A. (2009). Are there social limits to adaptation to climate change? Climatic Change, 93. 335-354. DOI 10.1007/s10584-008-9520-z
Ado, A.M., Leshan, J., Savadogo, P., Bo, L. & Shah, A.A. (2019). Farmers’ awareness and perception of climate change impacts: case study of Aguie district in Niger. Environment, Development and Sustainability 21, 2963–2977 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-018-0173- 4
Bryan, E., Deressa, T.T., Gbetibouo, G.A. & Ringler, C. (2009). Adaptation to climate change in Ethiopia and South Africa: Options and constraints. Environmental Science and Policy, 12. 413-426. doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2008.11.002
Debela, N., Mohammed, C., Bridle, K., Corkrey, R. & McNeil, D. (2015). Perception of climate change and its impact by smallholders in pastoral/agropastoral systems of Borana, South Ethiopia. Springer Plus, 4:236. 1-12. DOI 10.1186/s40064-015-1012-9
Dendir, Z. & Simane, B. (2021). Farmers’ perceptions about changes in climate variables: Perceived risks and household responses in different agro-ecological communities, Southern Ethiopia. Climate Services, 22. 1-8
Enimu S, & Onome G E (2018). Determinants of Climate Change Adaptation Strategies Among Farm Households in Delta State, Nigeria. Current Investigations in Agriculture and Current Research, 5(3), 663-668. CIACR.MS.ID.000213. DOI: 10.32474/CIACR.2018.05.000213
Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD). Gender Policy in Agriculture (2019). https://fmard.gov.ng/national-gender-policy-in-agriculture/
Glazebrook, T., Noll, S. & Opoku, E. (2020). Gender matters: Climate change, gender bias and women’s farming in the Global South and North. Agriculture, 10:267. 1-25. doi:10.3390/agriculture10070267
Jiri O, Mafongoya P & Chivenge P (2015) Smallholder Farmer Perceptions on Climate Change and Variability: A Predisposition for their Subsequent Adaptation Strategies. Journal of Earth Science and Climate Change 6: 277. https://doi:10.4172/2157-7617.1000277
Ifeanyi-obi, C.C, Asiabaka, C.C and Adesope, O.M (2014). Determinants Of Climate Change Adaptation Measures Used By Crop And Livestock Farmers In Southeast Nigeria. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science (IOSR-JHSS), 19(9): 61-70. DOI 10.9790/0837- 19956170
Issa, F.O., Tologbonse E. B., Olaleye, R., Tologbonse, O.M. & Kagbu, J.H. (2015). Farmers’ perception of climate change and coping strategies across gender in two agro-ecological zones of Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural Extension, 19:1. 38-48
Kauê D.S., Fernando C., Jorge S., Alejandra O., Jose G.S., Amilcar A., Leida M. (2018). How climate awareness influences farmers’ adaptation decisions in Central America? Journal of Rural Studies, 64, 11-19, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2018.09.018
Mwinkom, F.X.K., Damnyag, L., Abugre, S. & Alhassan, S.I. (2021). Factors influencing climate change adaptation strategies in North-Western Ghana: evidence of farmers in the Black Volta Basin in Upper West region. SN Applied Sciences, 3, 548. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-021-04503-w
Mitter, H., Larcher, M., Schönhart, M. Stotinger, M. & Schmid, E. (2019) Exploring Farmers’ Climate Change Perceptions and Adaptation Intentions: Empirical Evidence from Austria. Environmental Management 63, 804–821. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-019-01158-7
Ndamani, F. & Watanabe, T. (2016). Determinants of farmers’ adaptation to climate change: A micro level analysis. Scientia Agricola, 73 (3), 201-208, http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0103-9016-2015-0163
Obayelu, O. A., Adepoju, A. O., & Idowu, T. (2014). Factors influencing farmers’ choices of adaptation to climate change in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Journal of Agriculture and Environment for International Development (JAEID), 108(1), 3-16. https://doi.org/10.12895/jaeid.20141.140
Ofuoku, A. U. (2011). Rural farmers’ perception of climate change in Central Agricultural Zone of Delta State, Nigeria. Indonesian Journal of Agricultural Science, 12:2. 63-69.
Ogunlela, Y. I. & Mukhtar, A. A. (2009). Gender issues in agriculture and rural development in Nigeria: The role of women. Humanities and Social Sciences Journal, 4:1. 19-20.
Pauw, P. (2013). The role of perception in subsistence farmer adaptation in Africa: Enriching the climate finance debate. International Journal of Climate Strategies and Management, 5:3. 267-284.
Raygorodetsky, G. (2011). Why Traditional Knowledge Holds the Key to Climate Change. Publication of the United Nations University. https://unu.edu/publications/articles/why- traditional-knowledge-holds-the-key-to-climate-change.html
Singh, N.P., Anand, B. & Khan, M.A. (2018) Micro-level perception to climate change and adaptation issues: A prelude to mainstreaming climate adaptation into developmental landscape in India. Natural Hazards 92, 1287–1304 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-018-3250-y
Son Tran Van, William Boyd, Peter Slavich & Trinh Mai Van (2015). Perception of Climate Change and Farmers’ Adaptation: A Case Study of Poor and Non-Poor Farmers in Northern Central Coast of Vietnam. Journal of Basic and Applied science 11, 323-342 http://dx.doi.org/10.6000/1927-5129.2015.11.48
Spear, D., Selato, J.C., Mosime, B., Nyamwanza, A.M. (2019). Harnessing diverse knowledge and belief systems to adapt to climate change in semi-arid rural Africa, Climate Services, 14, 31-36, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cliser.2019.05.001.
Thi Lan Huong, N., Shun Bo, Y. and Fahad, S. (2017), Farmers’ perception, awareness and adaptation to climate change: evidence from northwest Vietnam, International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, 9 (4); 555-576. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCCSM-02-2017-0032
Tologbonse, E. B., Auta, S.J., Bidoli, T.D., Jaliya, M.M., Onu, R.O. & Issa, F.O. (2010). Farmers’ perception of the effects of climate change and coping strategies in three agro-ecological zones of Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural Extension, 14:1. 125-136.
Vedwan, N. (2006). Culture, climate and the environment: Local knowledge and perception of climate change among apple growers in Northwestern India. Journal of Ecological Anthropology, 10:1. 4-18.
Woods, B. A., Nielsen, H.O., Pedersen, A. B. & Kristofersson, D. (2017). Farmers’ perceptions of climate change and their likely responses in Danish agriculture. Land Use Policy, 65. 109-120.
Yan, Z. Wei, F., Deng, X., Li, C., He, Q. & Qi, Y. (2022). Feminization of agriculture: Do female farmers have higher expectations for the value of their farmland? – Empirical evidence from China. Agriculture, 12:60. 1-22. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12010060
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Chinwoke Clara Ifeanyi-obi, Chimkanmma Chimenem Wigwe, Olufemi Martins Adesope, Andrew Olufemi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
