FARMERS’ PERCEPTION ON THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON FARMING ACTIVITIES IN DANDUME LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KATSINA STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

 This study on the impacts of climate change on farming activities was conducted in Dandume Local Government Area of Kastina State. To capture data on the impact of climate change on farming activities based on the perceptions of the farmers, 150 questionnaires were administered and retrieved. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (percentage, bar chart, etc.). About 57.33% of the respondents percept that, there was increase in rainfall while 20% of the respondents believed that, there was decrease in rainfall, however, 22.67% were on the view that, the rainfall was normal. Regarding the temperature, the study showed that, about 53% of the respondents agreed that, the temperature was too hot while 33.33% of the respondents believed that, the temperature was cold and 13.34% of the respondents proved to be normal temperature. The study observed that, there was increase in crop production as a result of high increase in rainfall as well as the increase in the degree of hotness or coldness of the temperature. Moreover, the government and nongovernmental organization (NGOs) should make any possible efforts using this study to promote and educate the farmers in their area.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0         INTRODUCTION

1.1         Background of the Study

Climate change refers to any change in climate over time, whether due to natural variability or as a result of human activity (lPCC, 2006). Climate change refers to a change of climate variables that is attributed directly or indirectly to human activities which alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods by UN Framework Convention on Climate change (UNFCCC, 20O6). Man is the major cause of the current global climate change (Thick Tri Quang, 1996). In Nigeria, facts on climate change as reported by the Nigeria Environmental Study and Action Team (NEST, 2007) include issues such as poor nutrition, low Agricultural yields, poverty, proliferation of diseases vectors and insects, malaria, sleeping sickness, dengue fever, schistosomiasis etc. Other impacts of climate change include desertification and soil erosion in Northern and southern part of Nigeria (Okali, 2007). At present, the earth appears to be facing a rapid warming, which most scientists believe result mostly from human activities (Hart, 2006, Ehrenfield, 2005, Rosenbaum et al., 2004).

Essentially, forest ecosystems are an important consideration in the development of climate change mitigation strategies because they can both be sources and sink of green house gases (Dinicola et al., 1997).

In agricultural sector, climate change will lead to reduction in soil fertility, change in the availability of feed and fodder, decreased livestock productivity, increased incidence of Pest attack and the manifestation of vector born diseases. Similarly, heat stress and drought are likely to have a negative impact on animal health, production of dairy products, meats, and reproduction (SCBD, 2007). This in turn could impact on food security leading to protein deficiency and malnutrition (McCarth et al., 2001).

The implication of this is that the rural people based on their knowledge of climate change involving of weather variable like temperature, rain, humidity, visibility emanating from fog or dust storm as they affect their farming activities (Chapman, 2010). The impact of climate change on farmers in the study area were evident with increased growing season of crops, low soil moisture content, and low yield from farm produce. They claimed that all these problems were as a result of change in timing of rainfall. It is no longer easy to predict the onset and cessation…..