CLIMATE CHANGE AND AGRICULTURE: ADAPTATION STRATEGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN UZO-UWANI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Climate change is regarded as one of the most significant threats to national security, exerting profound impacts on biodiversity, ecosystems, public health, energy systems, agriculture and natural resources. These effects are especially noticeable in developing nations where the majority of people rely on agriculture for food, economy and source of livelihood. Hence the need to examine the effects of climate change on agricultural production and suggest adaptation strategies for the study area. The research employed a mixed-methods design with 150 respondents as a sample. Using basic random (balloting) sampling techniques, five of the sixteen communities in the study area were chosen. Five farmers with at least five years of agricultural experience from five chosen villages in the study area were purposively selected and interviewed along with few key informants.  The data were analyzed using IBM’s Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 20 while in-depth interviews were transcribed and analyzed thematically using Nvivo 26. Results revealed that majority of the respondents are young adults, particularly in the 25-34 age range. The results also revealed climate change as the major factor affecting agricultural productivity in the study area. The findings show that farmers in the study area were highly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change with about 83.7% of the farmers being directly affected because they depend on rain-fed agriculture. The findings further indicate a rising level of poverty in the area, with about 54% of the farmers attributing this trend to the impacts of climate change on agricultural productivity. The study found that agricultural productivity has declined as a result of climate change impacts, evident is seen in reduced rainfall, delayed onset of rains, rising temperatures, reduction in soil fertility and prolonged dry season. Consequently, this decline in agricultural productivity in the study area has compelled many farmers to diversify their livelihoods and income by engaging in secondary occupations such as trading. The study concludes that climate change has reduced agricultural productivity in Uzo-Uwani LGA thereby worsening poverty and forcing farmers into supplementary occupations. Traditional adaptation measures such as adjusting planting dates, crop diversification and mixed cropping etc and relying in indigenous knowledge provide some coping capacity but remain insufficient.  It is therefore recommended that modern adaptation strategies like climate-smart agriculture, small-scale irrigation, drought-tolerant crops and supportive policy frameworks be implemented to strengthen resilience and ensure sustainable rural livelihoods.