Major Source Of Livelihood Research Articles

Impact of extension interventions in improving livelihood of dairy farmers of Nadia district of West Bengal, India.

Livestock is a one of the major sources of livelihood for most of the small and marginal farmers in India, particularly for rural households who live in below poverty line. Extension interventions have long been seen as a key element for enabling farmers to obtain information and technologies that can improve their livelihoods. It is also recognized that extension is an important factor in promoting dairy development. Ex-post-facto cause to effect research design was applied in this study to trace out the impact of extension interventions in improving knowledge, attitude, adoption towards scientific dairy farming practices and improvement in milk production of dairy animal and income from dairying which will be resulted into improved livelihood of rural poor in Nadia district of West Bengal, India. Therefore, 60 dairy farmers of experimental villages who were considered as beneficiaries and 60 dairy farmers of control villages who were considered as non-beneficiaries were selected as sample for the study. It was found that beneficiaries had significantly higher score in all the five components of livelihood improvement with its all sub components, i.e., knowledge, attitude, adoption of scientific dairy farming practices, milk production per household per day and monthly income from dairying except disease control, and marketing component of adoption. Hence, it may be concluded that extension interventions had a significant impact on improving livelihood of rural dairy farmers in Nadia district of West Bengal, India.

A review of food security and flood risk dynamics in central dry zone area of Myanmar

The Central Dry Zone area of Myanmar is the most water stressed and one of the most food insecure regions in the country. Agriculture is the most important economic sector in Myanmar as it is essential for national food security and a major source of livelihood. The adverse effects of climate change are believed to be a major constraint to food insecurity and flood risk. This paper gives a structured overview of the current scientific knowledge available and reveals the relevance of this information with regard to food security and flood risk dynamics in central dry zone area of Myanmar.

Sustainable Water Resources Management for Food Security in Kenya: Case of Bwathonaro Catchment

Food security is important in Kenya today. Bwathonaro sub-catchment in Tana catchment is experiencing food insecurity and severe water related challenges due to high population pressure and over-reliance on irrigated agriculture for livelihood. Bwathonaro river supports irrigated agriculture, which is a major source of livelihood for people in the watershed. These challenges include: water pollution, inappropriate solid waste disposal, illegal water abstraction and/or over-abstraction of water, inefficient irrigation practices, encroachment on and drainage of wetlands as well as inappropriate use of agrochemicals in wetlands. The specific objectives of the study were to 1) document current status of water resource use; 2) propose a strategy for enhancing subsistence food crop farming within the existing khat (miraa) farming system; 3) promote efficient irrigation systems that reduce water use conflict and enhance equitable distribution, and 4) work with community to improve water quality and quantity. The study adopted a four-pronged approach in the data collection procedures, namely: socio-economic surveys, participatory approaches, biophysical data and geospatial tools. Results showed that water use conflicts are persistent in the catchment. However, one Water Resource User Association (WRUA)-BWARUA, has shown consistent progress towards managing water resources for food security. The WRUA has undertaken a number of activities including ensuring that water abstractors observe permit conditions, undertaking surveillance of polluters, awareness creation on protection of wetlands, springs and river banks among other activities in the catchment. The impact of these activities has been positive and includes: reduction of conflict over water, reduction in pollution, more water flowing downstream and more water availability in the catchment for diverse uses including irrigation for agriculture, livestock and wildlife. Such practices could be used in other sub-catchments of Kenya as showcases to facilitate the sustainable use of scarce water resources for the benefit of all stakeholders.

Food vulnerability analysis in the central dry zone of Myanmar

The central dry zone of Myanmar is the most water stressed and also one of the most food insecure regions in the country. In the Dry Zone, the total population is 10.1 million people in 54 townships, in which approximately 43 % of people live below the poverty line and 40 – 50 % of the rural population is landless. Agriculture is the most important economic sector in Myanmar as it is essential for the national food security and a major source of livelihood of the people. In this region the adverse effects of climate change such as a late or early onset of the monsoon season, longer dry spells, erratic rainfall, increasing temperatures, heavy rains, stronger typhoons, extreme spatial-temporal variability of rainfall, high intensities, limited rainfall events in the growing season, heat stress, drought, flooding, sea water intrusion, land degradation, desertification, deforestation, and other natural disasters are believed to be major constraints to food security. Theses extreme climatic events are likely to increase in frequency and magnitude, leading to serious drought periods and extreme floods. Food insecurity is an important thing that must be reviewed because it affects the lives of many people. For food vulnerability, we use the following indicators: slope, precipitation, vegetation, soil, erosion, land degradation and harvest failure in ArcGIS software. The erosion is influenced by rainfall and slope, while land degradation is directly related to vegetation, drainage and soil. In the meantime, the harvest failure can be generated by rainfall and flood potential zones. The results show that around 45 % of the area studied comes under a very high erosion danger level, 70 % are in the average harvest failure zone, 59 % are in the intermediate land degradation area, and overall around 45 % of the studied area comes under the insecure food vulnerability zone. Our analysis shows that an increase in the alluvial farming by 1745.33 km2 since 1988 has helped reduce the insecure food vulnerability. The food vulnerability map is also relevant to increased population and low income areas. This paper is helpful for identifying the areas of food needs in central dry zone of Myanmar.

Food vulnerability analysis in the central dry zone of Myanmar

The central dry zone of Myanmar is the most water stressed and also one of the most food insecure regions in the country. In the Dry Zone, the total population is 10.1 million people in 54 townships, in which approximately 43 % of people live below the poverty line and 40 – 50 % of the rural population is landless. Agriculture is the most important economic sector in Myanmar as it is essential for the national food security and a major source of livelihood of the people. In this region the adverse effects of climate change such as a late or early onset of the monsoon season, longer dry spells, erratic rainfall, increasing temperatures, heavy rains, stronger typhoons, extreme spatial-temporal variability of rainfall, high intensities, limited rainfall events in the growing season, heat stress, drought, flooding, sea water intrusion, land degradation, desertification, deforestation, and other natural disasters are believed to be major constraints to food security. Theses extreme climatic events are likely to increase in frequency and magnitude, leading to serious drought periods and extreme floods. Food insecurity is an important thing that must be reviewed because it affects the lives of many people. For food vulnerability, we use the following indicators: slope, precipitation, vegetation, soil, erosion, land degradation and harvest failure in ArcGIS software. The erosion is influenced by rainfall and slope, while land degradation is directly related to vegetation, drainage and soil. In the meantime, the harvest failure can be generated by rainfall and flood potential zones. The results show that around 45 % of the area studied comes under a very high erosion danger level, 70 % are in the average harvest failure zone, 59 % are in the intermediate land degradation area, and overall around 45 % of the studied area comes under the insecure food vulnerability zone. Our analysis shows that an increase in the alluvial farming by 1745.33 km2 since 1988 has helped reduce the insecure food vulnerability. The food vulnerability map is also relevant to increased population and low income areas. This paper is helpful for identifying the areas of food needs in central dry zone of Myanmar.

Growth and Instability of Foodgrains in Telangana: A State Level Analysis from 1955–56 to 2015–16

Agricultural sector plays the pivotal role in the overall development of Telangana economy. Nearly 62 percent of Telangana’s population lives in rural areas and 55 percent of the workforce actually engaged in agricultural activities. Agricultural sector is a major source of livelihood for a large majority of the State population. In this study, an attempt has been made to know the performance of agriculture sector in Telangana state by knowing the growth trends and instability in area, production and yield of foodgrain crops in the state for the period 1955-56 to 2015-16. It has been observed that the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of foodgrains production, area and yield showed a decreasing trend. The production of total foodgrains has the negative growth rate of -0.94 percent during the overall study period. The overall average production of total foodgrains is 41.92 lakh tonnes and area under total food crops is registered 34.77 lakh hectares. However, in the case of instability, Standard Deviation (absolute change) for overall period in the production of foodgrain is registered 20.74 lakh tonnes which are about 49.30 percent (Coefficient of Variation). Likewise, the total absolute change (Standard Deviation) in the area under cultivation of food grain crops is only 5.39 lakh hectares which is about 15.49 percent (Coefficient of Variation) during the study period in addition to this instability in food grains yield is showing an increasing trend over the period. Instability in production and yield is increased more and more after the introduction of economic reforms in the state compared to the adoption of new technology (green revolution) in agricultural sector.

Livelihood System Assessment and Planning for Poverty Alleviation:A Case of Rainfed Agriculture in Jharkhand

Agriculture is the major livelihood source of 75% of the population residing in the rural areas of Jharkhand. Agricultural production is not able to meet the demand, leading to food and nutritional security as a major challenge in the state. A majority of Jharkhand population is below poverty line. This calls for an urgent attention of the policy makers to undertake productivity enhancement initiatives considering the land, water and human resources. The potential of agriculture needs to be harnessed through science-led development using systematic planning and promoting holistic solutions. A new paradigm of science-led participatory research for development and holistic approach along with enabling policies and intuitions are needed to address the food and nutritional security along with improved livelihoods of the rural people. The present paper assesses the current resource base in Jharkhand, the potential of which could be harnessed. An effort is also made to analyse future scenarios based on the trends of population growth in the state. Business as usual approach would not be effective to meet the demand and to reduce the poverty.

Adaptation and resilience to climate change and variability in north-east Ghana

North-east Ghana is characterised by frequent droughts and floods which adversely affect farming, the primary source of livelihood for majority of households in the region. Given the rapidly changing climate, these extreme events are expected to become more pervasive. This paper assesses the capacity of farm households to deal with climate-related risks. Using survey data from 409 farm households in three districts in north-east Ghana, this study specifically examines households' resilience to climate change and variability, and the determinants of the number and choice of adaptation measures adopted by households. Results from an indicator-based climate resilience assessment indicate that female-headed households and households located in Bongo district are less resilient to climate change and variability. The results also suggest that interventions aimed at building households' climate resilience should be mostly directed at raising household income, improving food security, and asset building. To enhance resilience to climate change and variability, households have mostly adopted a combination of autonomous adaptation measures, such as altering the timing of planting, use of drought tolerant and early maturing crop varieties, and switching to crops that are less sensitive to climate stress. Employing Poisson and multivariate probit regression models, it was found that increasing farmers' knowledge of climate change as well as building the capacity of extension agents to deliver information on climate change and appropriate adaptation measures are key to successful adaptation in the study region.

Perception-based analysis of climate change effect on forest-based livelihood: The case of Vhembe District in South Africa.

Forests are vulnerable to climate change and are also major sources of livelihood for many rural households in Africa. This study examines rural people’s perceptions of climate change impacts on forest-based livelihoods using rural communities of Vhembe District in South Africa as a case study. The study was based on the principles of perceived impact-based assessment, and sustainable livelihoods framework. Using the stratified proportionate random sampling procedure in combination with weighted Enumeration Area for the selected communities, 366 households were chosen and interviewed. Data analysis involved computing frequencies and conducting the Chi-square, binomial tests and binary logistic regression analysis. The respondents identified erratic rainfall, extreme temperature, extreme drought and flooding as key climatic events in their community. But not all identified key climatic events were perceived to constitute risk to forest products and forest-based livelihood. Only extreme drought was indicated to constitute risk to availability of forest products. In addition, the binary logistic regression showed a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the perceived risk of climate change to the availability of essential forest products across the three municipalities. Hence the need for forest development initiatives that target vulnerable forest products per community as a means of enhancing resilience of forest-based livelihood to climate change impacts in rural community development in South Africa.

Utilization of Oral Rehydration Therapy in the Management of Diarrhea in Children among Nursing Mothers in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria

The purpose of this study was to determine the utilization of Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) in the management of diarrhea in children among nursing mothers in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was designed to generated data from 200 respondents using multi-staged sampling technique. Data collected from the respondents were analsyed using IBM SPSS version 20.0 and presented in tables and charts. The result obtained from this study showed that most respondents 65(32.5%) were aged 25-29 years followed by 45(22.5%) 30-34 years and 36(18.0%) 20-24 years. About 170(85.0%) respondents were married while 14(7.0%) were single. Respondents were predominantly Christians 181(90.5%) and had attained secondary education 51(25.5%). Major sources of livelihood as indicated by the respondents were farming 51(25.5%), trading 44(22.0%) and civil service 42(21.0%). Income level per month for 47(23.5%) were between N6,000-N15,000 and about 46(23.0%) earned N16,000-N30,000, 31(15.5%) N5,000 and less, 12(6.0%) N31,000-N50,000 and 11(5.5%) N50,000 and above. Most study participants had good knowledge of dirrahoea disease and 124(62.0%) were aware of ORS, but a knowledge gap was noticed in ORS composition and method of preparation. Out of 69(34.5%) respondents who reported that their children had suffered from diarrhea in the past two years, only 30(43.5%) had used ORS to manage diarrhea cases in children. Reasons for non-usage of ORS/SSS among nursing mothers were majorly lack of awareness of ORS/SSS (52.4%), lack of information on ORS/SSS composition and preparation (16.6%) and ORS not readily available (6.9%). Knowledge of diarrhea and ORS has a significant influence on utilization of ORS among nursing mothers (P < 0.05). Hence, health workers need to educate mothers on the benefits of using ORS in the management of diarrhea in children.

Adaptation to Climate Change by Smallholder Farmers in Rural Communities: Evidence from Sri Lanka

The agricultural sector plays a key role in Sri Lankan economy, whose major source of livelihoods is smallholder farming in paddy and vegetable cultivation which is highly vulnerable to climate changes having negative impact on food security. To overcome the welfare losses, the smallholder farmers need to identify the changes in climatic variables and adjust to their farming practices to cope up with the climate change. Thus, this study examines how rural smallholder farmers in different agro-ecological zones in Sri Lanka perceive climate change and accordingly adapt to it in their agricultural practices. A questionnaire survey was conducted with a random sample of 125 farmer households distributed in most vulnerable four agro-ecological zones namely, Belihuloya, Ihala Galagama, Mulgama and Kosgama in up country inter mediate zone. The study shows that all the respondents have observed rising trends in temperature and winds and lack of adequate rainfall during last twenty years and in response they have grown short season crops as the main farming practice to adapt to minimize the potential losses on their yields. The results of the logistic regression revealed that social economic factors, environmental factors, institutional factors and the economic structure influence farmers’ choice of adaptation methods to climate change. The size of the household, income, education, accessibility to climate information through television and radio, being a member in farmers’ group, location of the land, crop variety, access to formal loans and distance to input markets had significantly affected adaptation. For instance the farmers who grow beans as the major crop to adapt to climate change has 94% probability with compared to those farmers who do not grow other crops whereas the farmers who come to know the changing patterns of the climate through television and radio have a higher probability (94%) of adaptation to the climate change than those who use other media. Sri Lankan government requires facilitating the smallholder farmers to overcome the constraints in which they face in using adaptation methods to climate change so that the welfare of the farmers and growth of the agricultural sector can be ensured.

Cost of milk production in rural and urban area of Bulandshahr district of U.P.

Dairying is a major source of livelihood for a large number of people in rural India, particularly landless, small and marginal farmers. Cost of milk production from dairying is an important aspect for producers, consumers and policy makers to provide effective linkage between the milk producer and consumers, so that the producer get remunerative price for their milk and consumer get at reasonable rate The present investigation is an attempt to study the cost of milk production in rural and urban areas of Bulandshahr district of U.P. with primary data obtained from 70 rural and 70 urban milk producer families. The study revealed that overall annual gross maintenance cost per animal was higher (Rs.22509.27) in urban milk producers families in comparison to rural milk producer families (Rs.22223.23). The maximum annual gross maintenance cost was on small farmers and minimum in landless labourers in both the categories. The share of variable and fixed cost in total annual maintenance cost was (81.66% and 18.46%) in rural milk producers families and in urban milk producers families it was (75.64% and 24.36%). The cost of feed, fodder and concentrate was main component in gross maintenance cost in both the categories. The overall cost per litre of milk was lower (Rs.11.46) in rural families than urban families (Rs.12.01). The size of holding showed negative relationship with cost of milk production. Thus, it is suggested that short term loan should be provide to rural and urban milk producers for purchasing feed and fodder for their animals.

Modern Trends and Prospects to Develop the Agrarian Sector of Georgia

The purpose of the study is the general evaluation of the agrarian sector of Georgia, its statistical analysis, identification of modern trends and prospects for future development. The article applies qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods, including statistic data processing, data grouping and data analysis methods. The modern trends of the agrarian sector of Georgia are as follows: almost half of the population of Georgia lives in rural areas with low-productive farms oriented to meet one's own demands only and being the major source of livelihood; an increasing proportion of the agricultural lands is still not cultivated; the rate of unemployment is low, the number of self-employed increases; the specific weight of agriculture in GDP shows a decreasing trend, the local output of the sector shows an increasing trend.

PARTICIPATORY ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT IN NYANGATOM DISTRICT OF SOUTH OMO ZONE, SOUTH ETHIOPIA

The aim of the study was to identify potential constraints to mutual resource utilization in the bordering areas of Nyangatom and to identify and develop participatory mitigation measures to resource utilization problems based on community and government proposals. The study employed Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and Key Informant Interview (KII) to collect the primary data. 1 FGD and 2-3 FGDs were held in each kebele. Livestock production is the major source of livelihood followed by crop production in the district. Bee keeping, fishery and gathering of forest products are the supplementary activities performed by the community. Sell of livestock and livestock products, honey and crop in times of surplus production are the major sources of income and they spend it to fulfill their food demand, medication and purchase of clothing’s. Most of the communities in Nyangatom are food insecure. Drought, conflict, diseases and invasive species are the main hazards to the environment in the area whereas resource scarcity and sense of ownership are among the reasons that prohibit mutual resource utilization. Area enclosures allied with plantation of grasses, Rehabilitation of the depleted grazing lands and introduction of improved pasture management, Maintenance, rehabilitation and construction of water infrastructure, Expanding small scale irrigation, Ensuring security and Countering prosopisjuliflora were the mitigation measures suggested by the community.

TEMPLE ART FOR SALE

This article describes traditional painting in the village of Kamasan in Bali, exploring the significance to the village of art production through the prism of gift transactions and market relations. The production of art for sale has long been regarded as a sign of tourism's negative impact on the island of Bali, responsible for the degeneration of cultural practices as art went from being a sacred or religious pursuit into a commodity for tourist consumption. Many studies of Balinese art contain a built-in assumption that art produced for sale to foreigners has inherently different qualities to art produced for temples. Focusing on the practice of artist Nyoman Mandra, this article argues that paintings and the labour involved in their production might usefully be regarded as commodified and that Balinese artists do not regard cultural production for external markets as something that exists separately from the value processes related to cultural and religious life. Beyond emphasising the fluid boundaries between ritual and commercial prerogatives, painting is a major source of livelihood and this has implications for understanding the significance of cultural production to the Indonesian economy.

Indigenous Practices for Climate Change Adaptation among Rural Households in Imo State, Nigeria

Climate change has been described as among the major challenges of the twenty-first century. However, this trend cannot be completely halted but can only be slowed down through the development and adoption of adaptation practices especially among the rural people whose major source of livelihood is agriculture which is at stake. This paper examined the indigenous practices for climate change adaptation among rural households in Imo State. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select the sample. A total of 108 respondents were used for the study. Descriptive statistics were used in analyzing the data obtained from the study. Results show that a majority (78.3%) of the respondents were aware of climate change while about 40.6% knew a very little about it. The result also shows that the most effective local adaptation practices to climate change in the study area included growing drought-resistant crop varieties (M = 1.14), planting deeper into the soil to avoid heat stress (M = 1.10), increased weeding ( M = 1.29) and changing the timing of land preparation (M = 1.10). Further, the results show that major constraints to Original Research Article Umunakwe et al.; BJAST, 8(1): 67-79, 2015; Article no.BJAST.2015.187 68 adaptation to climate change in the study area included limited access to improved crop varieties (M = 1.95), high cost of farm labour (M = 1.80), inadequate financial resources to adapt (M = 1.80) and high cost of diversification of enterprise (M = 1.78). The paper recommends the massive involvement of the extension agency and the mass media in climate change adaptation programmes so as to raise the awareness of people on the subject and thus increase their adaptive

Prevalence and distribution of aflatoxin contamination in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) in Mali, West Africa

Groundnut is a major source of livelihood for the rural poor in Mali. However, the crop is prone to pre-and post-harvest aflatoxin contamination caused by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Therefore, to minimize health related hazards from exposure to aflatoxin contaminated food, information on the prevalence and distribution of aflatoxins (AFB1) in the groundnut value chain in Mali is needed for timely interventions. To this end, a study was undertaken in three districts (Kayes, Kita and Kolokani) to assess aflatoxin contamination in the field and storage. Ninety pod samples in each district were collected from fields (30 villages/district and 3 samples/village) during 2009 and 2010. Pre-harvest contamination was estimated at harvest, whereas samples for post-harvest contamination were collected from granaries of the same farmers at a monthly interval for 3 months. The villages in each district were categorized into safe, acceptable, moderate risk and high risk areas based on pre-harvest AFB1 levels. Kayes recorded more pod samples (77%) within 20 μg/kg of pre-harvest aflatoxins followed by Kolokani (55.6%) and Kita (45.6%) based on 2009 and 2010 mean values. Toxin concentrations at harvest were comparatively less in Kayes during both years. Further, Kayes had more villages under safe and acceptable limits when compared to Kolokani and Kita. Overall, 46 out of 90 villages in the three districts had acceptable pre-harvest toxin limits. Further, 12 villages in Kolokani were in the high risk category. An increase in toxin levels was noticed with period of storage during both years. Comparatively, toxin levels after storage were least in Kayes during 2009. Kayes also recorded less AFB1 levels in 2010 after Kita. Our results indicate that Kayes is relatively safe over Kita and Kolokani in pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination. The reasons for district-wide variations in pre-harvest contamination; and the reasons for post-harvest flare up of the problem are discussed. Further, proper storage of pods at farmers' granaries in Mali is suggested to overcome the problem from reaching alarming levels.

Soil Moisture Retrieval from MODIS and AMSRE Satellite Data A Case Study of Sindh Province, Pakistan

Sindh province has diverse agro-climatological regions ranging from irrigated agricultural belt in the middle and desert to the east and bare hilly ranges on the west. Climate of the province is semi-arid with low annual precipitation of around 200mm. Agriculture and agribusiness is the main source of livelihood for majority in the province. Soil moisture study is an important parameter in agriculture, hydrology and hydrometeorology for studies related to sustainable development of agriculture and agribusiness in the province. In agriculture, soil moisture is used to study evapotranspiration, droughts, irrigation scheduling, and crop yield forecasting. It is also important for the environmental studies like subsequent precipitation patterns, temperature change and water quality. Soil moisture plays an important role in hydrology e.g., flood control, soil erosion and slope failure, reservoir management, geotechnical engineering and runoff generation. Due to synoptic coverage and high temporal resolution satellite remote sensing is ideal for instantaneous measurement of soil moisture content and its spatial and temporal behavior. In this study soil moisture at province level has been mapped through Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spector Radiometer (MODIS) for the years 2007 and 2010. As 2007 was as normal year while 2010 was a wet year due to heavy rainfall and flood in the province, both the years have been selected to study soil moisture anomalies in normal and wet seasons. The results of MODIS derived soil moisture is in moderate agreement with AMSR-E soil moisture product proving the effectiveness of high resolution products in optical range.

Improving the Management and Use of Water Resources for Small-Scale Irrigation Farming in the Garu Tempane District of Ghana

Small scale irrigation farming has been recognized as an important avenue for improving the well being of poor people living in arid and marginal areas of the world. The contribution of small scale irrigation can be seen in its ability to ensure food security as well as contribute to the income of farmers. In the Garu-Tempane District, small scale irrigation farming is a major source of livelihood for people in the district. Despite the importance of the irrigation schemes to dry season farming the schemes face challenges such as inadequate water, inadequate canals, choked and broken canals due to frequent breakdown and inadequate repairs which affect their effective operation. Although the major use of the dam waters was dry season farming, animal watering and fishing were also found to be significant uses of the dam waters. In north-eastern Ghana as it is in many parts of the third world, external development agencies support the formation of Water User Associations (WUAs) for the management of community-based irrigation schemes. Although, the management of the schemes and the use of the dam is the responsibility of the community represented by the WUAs it was revealed by the study that, in the management of challenges that confront small scale irrigation schemes, WUAs depended on the supportive roles of traditional authorities as well as district assemblies for discharging their management responsibilities more effectively.

Green Economy: Challenges and Prospects for Improved Aquatic Agricultural System (AAS) in Niger Delta Communities

There is dire need for deliberate green action plan to solve the endemic environmental crises occasioned by unsustainable utilization of natural resources and environmental degradation in the Niger Delta; a region with its characteristic terrain and eco-fragility that is highly susceptible to adverse environmental and climate change-related disasters. But, to successfully implement a green economy plan in the Niger Delta region, there has to be a well-thought out strategy with due appraisal of baseline environmental issues and concerns. The people of the delta depend, primarily, on the exploitation of the region’s rich bio-resources with fishing and farming forming the major sources of livelihoods. Observations by independent and intergovernmental global environmental protection players indicate that, the creeks, lands, mangroves, forests, etc provide inestimable goods and ecological services to the region’s inhabitants. Yet, they have been consistently degraded over the past four decades, mainly by industrial activities. Some identified challenges in greening the region and viable alternatives for sustainable agricultural development are, also, discussed. The authors have, therefore, proposed strategies such as consideration of complex biophysical and socio-economic factors, multi-stakeholder engagement, and a paradigm shift from the contemporary fossil energy-based agriculture to the more sustainable practices of biofuels and organic agriculture. A modelled paradigm for transforming current improved aquatic agricultural systems (AAS) to become more productive while, maintaining ecosystem services is proposed. Therefore, this paper examines current environmental issues and concerns as well as efforts variously made to address them in the Niger Delta against the backdrop of existing economic activities.