INDIGENOUS AND EMERGING ADAPTIVE AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE NIGER DELTA REGION OF NIGERIA
ABSTRACT
The study ascertained indigenous and emerging adaptive agricultural technologies
to climate change in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Data were collected from 400
respondents through the use of semi structured interview schedule using a multi stage
random sampling technique. The collected data were analyzed using percentages, mean
score, and factor analysis. The findings revealed that majority (89.8%) of the respondents
were aware of climate change though only 9.0% of them knew of climate change to a
great extent; it was found that majority (94.8%) of the respondents had knowledge of
climate change effects on their farming activities. The findings also showed that
respondents sourced information on climate change from radio/television (61.0%),
newspaper (44.0%) and friends (43.8%). The major perceived causes of climate change
by the respondents were burning of fossil fuel (M=4.19), gas flaring from oil companies
(M =4.03), high temperature due to ozone layer depletion (M =3.99) and gases released
from industries (M =3.92).
The result also showed that bush burning, cutting down of
trees, cooking with firewood, crude oil spillage further causes of climate change. The
major perceived effects of climate change on farming activities included: low rainfall
intensity (M =3.34), late onset of rains (M = 3.36), heat from high temperature (M
=3.29), high rate of weed growth (M =3.00), poor crop yield (M =2.98), and decrease in
soil moisture (M =2.95). Findings further showed that about 24% of the respondents had
contact with extension workers in the last one year.
The mean distribution on available extension activities on climate change
revealed that there were limited activities on climate change issues in the study area. It
was further revealed that organic manure (72.0%), cover cropping (71.8%),
