Abstract
<p>This study was designed to assess the knowledge, perception and adaptation strategies to climate change among farmers of central Nigeria. Multi-Stage sampling technique was used to source respondents for the study. Three out of the five local government areas (LGAs) were randomly selected in the study area. Five village communities were randomly selected from each of the five LGAs to give fifteen villages, while 10 farmers were also randomly selected from each village to give 150 respondents. Data collection was through an interview schedule. Simple descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentage and mean scores were used to achieve all the objectives of the study. Most of the respondents relied on radio as their major source of information on climate change. The perceived indicators of climate change by the respondents were excessive high temperatures, low and irregular rainfall pattern as well as low crop yields. Adaptation strategies used in the area included agroforestry practices, crop diversification, early maturing and disease/drought resistant varieties. The Major constraints to adaptation by the respondents were inadequate finance, poor infrastructures, unfavourable government/trade policies and poor technology. Extension agents in the study area should incorporate information on climate change in their extension messages.</p>
Highlights
Climate change is perhaps the most serious environmental threat facing mankind worldwide
Available evidences show that climate change is a global phenomenon, likewise its impacts, but the biting effects are more on the developing countries, especially those in Africa due to their low level of coping capabilities (Nwafor, 2007; Jagtap, 2007)
The major source of information on climate change in the study area was the use of radio
Summary
Climate change is perhaps the most serious environmental threat facing mankind worldwide. It affects agriculture in several ways, one of which is its direct impact on food production. Climate change, which is attributable to natural climate cycle and human activities, has adversely affected agricultural productivity in Africa and Nigeria. Available evidences show that climate change is a global phenomenon, likewise its impacts, but the biting effects are more on the developing countries, especially those in Africa (including the study area) due to their low level of coping capabilities (Nwafor, 2007; Jagtap, 2007). The climate is said to have changed when the patterns and sequence of occurrence of weather events have shifted significantly from what they used to be over a period of time (FAO, 2008)
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