Abstract
The purpose of this study was to ascertain the response of rural farmers to the effects of climate change in Cross River State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to describe the socioeconomic characteristics of farmers, examine the level of awareness of climate change among rural farmers, identify the primary sources of information on climate change for rural farmers, evaluate the perceived effects of climate change on agricultural practices; explore the coping strategies employed by rural farmers in response to the impacts of climate change and identify the constraints faced by rural farmers in implementing coping strategies. The research adopted a survey design and 215 respondents were randomly selected for the study. Data obtained was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings reveal that 28.8% of the respondents were between the age bracket of 51-60 years, 50.2% were females, majority 51.2% had secondary education with 73.5% having no access to extension services. It was also revealed that 86.0% are aware of climate change and indicated that radio 20% was their major source of information, while perceived critical effects of climate change include cost of food crops increases x ̅ =4.79 followed by decrease in soil fertility x ̅ = 4.72 and early weeding 214, mixed cropping 212 were coping strategies as lack of knowledge about appropriate adaptation (n=200) was a major constraint. Empowerment of rural farmers to better manage the impacts of climate change and secure their livelihoods for future generations is essential for sustainable agricultural development.
Presenters
Friday Ogar IdikuSenior Lecturer, Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, University of Calabar Calabar Nigeria, Cross River, Nigeria
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Human Impacts and Responsibility
KEYWORDS
Climate Change, Farmers, Response, Rural, Strategies
