INDIGENOUS AND EMERGING ADAPTIVE AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE NIGER DELTA REGION OF NIGERIA

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 technologiesto climate change in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Data were collected from 400respondents through the use of semi structured interview schedule using a multi stagerandom sampling technique. The collected data were analyzed using percentages, meanscore, and factor analysis. The findings revealed that majority (89.8%) of the respondentswere aware of climate change though only 9.0% of them knew of climate change to agreat extent; it was found that majority (94.8%) of the respondents had knowledge ofclimate change effects on their farming activities. The findings also showed thatrespondents sourced information on climate change from radio/television (61.0%),newspaper (44.0%) and friends (43.8%). The major perceived causes of climate changeby 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 oftrees, cooking with firewood, crude oil spillage further causes of climate change. Themajor perceived effects of climate change on farming activities included: low rainfallintensity (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 insoil moisture (M =2.95). Findings further showed that about 24% of the respondents hadcontact with extension workers in the last one year.The mean distribution on available extension activities on climate changerevealed 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%),ABSTRACTThe study ascertained indigenous and emerging adaptive agricultural technologiesto climate change in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Data were collected from 400respondents through the use of semi structured interview schedule using a multi stagerandom sampling technique. The collected data were analyzed using percentages, meanscore, and factor analysis. The findings revealed that majority (89.8%) of the respondentswere aware of climate change though only 9.0% of them knew of climate change to agreat extent; it was found that majority (94.8%) of the respondents had knowledge ofclimate change effects on their farming activities. The findings also showed thatrespondents sourced information on climate change from radio/television (61.0%),newspaper (44.0%) and friends (43.8%). The major perceived causes of climate changeby 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 oftrees, cooking with firewood, crude oil spillage further causes of climate change. Themajor perceived effects of climate change on farming activities included: low rainfallintensity (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 insoil moisture (M =2.95). Findings further showed that about 24% of the respondents hadcontact with extension workers in the last one year.The mean distribution on available extension activities on climate changerevealed 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%),