Assessment of climate change threats and its impact on livelihoods in Niger North Senatorial District, Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined type of climate change threats and their impact on livelihoods in Niger North Senatorial District, Niger State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was adopted and 384 respondents were randomly sampled. A structured questionnaire and observations were used to gather the data. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as percentages, means, and frequency. The findings of the study indicated that livelihood activities in the study area are threatened by climate induced hazards such as increased flooding and soil erosion (48.18%), increased temperatures and water stress (33.59%). These climatic changes lead to heat stress on crops and livestock, increase pest and disease infestation, reduce water availability, and exacerbate drought conditions, thus reducing agricultural yields. The study concludes that climate change poses significant threats to livelihood sustainability in the study area. There is a need to adopt proven livelihood smart technologies and harness climate change opportunities for livelihood sustainability in the study area. It is imperative to promote sustainable livelihood practices and enhance water management strategies and create awareness of technologies that will enable the people to harness the climate change opportunities. Key factors influencing adoption of livelihood smart technologies and harnessing climate change opportunities need to be identified and tackled. The study recommends that Government and climate change-related NGOs should support the people with adequate knowledge and funding to utilize technologies that can reduce the impact of these threats on livelihoods and optimize the opportunities in climate change such as rain water harvest, daming rain run off-water and use of solar energy for the sustainability of their livelihoods.