Environmental Change and Livelihood Activities in Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands of Yobe State, North East Nigeria

Yagana Bukar,Abubakar T Abdulrahman,Abubakar K Monguno

doi:10.5539/jgg.v13n1p1

Yagana Bukar, Abubakar T Abdulrahman + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5539/jgg.v13n1p1

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Abstract

The Hadejia-Nguru wetlands is an extensive area of flood plains located in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of north east Nigeria. The population rely heavily on natural resources for their livelihoods. In recent years, climatic vagaries, increasing populations and unregulated livelihood activities have significantly affected water and other resources availability and communities are faced with constant struggle of survival under a declining resource base. This study assessed the adverse effects of environmental change on resource users and how this inﬂuences their livelihood options. Understanding the perceptions, knowledge and practices of local resource users and what shapes their livelihood options is an area of critical importance that is currently under-researched in the area. This paper argues that to effectively influence policy and practice that support sustainable use of natural resources, it is important to not only understand resource user&#39;s knowledge and choices about their changing environment but how they utilize this knowledge in their actions and the overall impact on the environment. Mixed methods consisting of semi-structured questionnaire and Focus Group Discussions (FGD) based on two Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools (Village Timeline and Contextual Change) were utilized to solicit primary data. Environmental change in the area is accelerated by human activities and people have developed several local mechanisms of adapting to change. These adaptive measures could further be explored for developing policies and programs aimed at tackling the challenges of environmental change and resource decline.

Highlights

The Hadejia-Nguru wetlands is a RAMSAR (Note 1) recognized site of extensive flood plains found in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Yobe State in Northeast Nigeria
The study used a mixed methods design involving structured questionnaire and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) to collect information from resource users namely farmers, pastoralists, fishermen and women from four selected communities located within the wetlands (Bambori, Dumsai, Kakori and Nguru town)
FGD respondents perceive that today's climate is different from the past noting that the seasonal cycle and rainfall pattern have changed and the average temperature has increased during the dry season

Summary

Introduction

The Hadejia-Nguru wetlands is a RAMSAR (Note 1) recognized site of extensive flood plains found in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Yobe State in Northeast Nigeria. The wetlands like other similar areas is faced with environmental changes that are observed to progress faster than in other ecosystems (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005; Blench 2013 BirdLife International, 2015). The area is currently undergoing rapid environmental deterioration largely as a result of climate change, fast-growing water demand, unregulated dam projects and other predatory economic activities (Blench 2013; Olalekan, 2014). The major threats facing the wetlands include population pressure, invasive typha grass, overgrazing, overfishing and shrinking of the floodplains because of diversion from dams, irrigation developments and drought (Idris 2008; 2013; Mohammed 2014; Olalekan 2014; Abubakar, 2016). Upstream developments have affected incoming water either through dams which alter the timing and size of flood flows or through diversion of surface or groundwater for irrigation activities. The main cause of unexpected reduction in extent of the flooded area is linked to reoccurring drought which is a persistent, stochastic environmental problem facing most arid and semi-arid environments (UNEP, 2011)

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