Livelihood Activities, Climate Change and Water Resources Availability in the Lower Cross River State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study aims to assess how human livelihood activities influence climate change and water resource availability in the Northern part of Cross River State, Nigeria. Majorly, the paper looked at how human livelihoods activities like deforestation for agricultural expansion, carving, and timber, exploitation of non-timber forest products, sand mining, and faulty agricultural practices among others had influenced the removal of forest vegetation cover, how these activities also influenced the reduction in rainfall and subsequent paving of ways for climate change. These activities contributed greatly to increasing ambient temperature orchestrating carbon accumulation in the surrounding environment and reduction in the amount of rainfall within the study area. Using both soft and hardware computer applications including German 12 handheld GPS, and Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS), were used for data collection. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected for the study. The GIS information software package was used to manipulate and perform feature identification, recognition, classification, calculation, and ground-truthing. A structured questionnaire was also used to collect data on some livelihood activities, the influence of livelihoods activities on water availability, and climate change among others. Secondary data set include the use of satellite imageries of Bekwarra, this was acquired from the Nigeria Center for Remote Sensing and Nigerian Meteorological Center, Jos for 1987- 2017. After analysis, it was found that the forest vegetation cover is fast disappearing, the built-up area had increased and the forest and water bodies are shrunken. Ambient temperature and carbon accumulation had seriously increased, while rainfall has reduced seriously leading to climate change and reduced water availability. It was recommended among others that tree planting and afforestation, alternative sources of livelihood that are feasible, sustainable, cheap, and practicable should be introduced to reduce pressure on the natural ecosystem.