princewill-assessment of policy makers perception

8/2/2019 Princewill-Assessment of Policy Makers Perception

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University of Nigeria NsukkaIn Collaboration with

Department of Geography and RegionalPlanning, University of Calabar

With support of

African Technology Policy Studies (ATPS) Nairobi Kenya

Stakeholders Consultation & Sensitizationworkshop


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An Assessment of Policy MakersPerception of Climate Change Problems

and Adaptation by farmers in CrossRiver State.

By

Bisong F. E, Andrew-Essien E. & Odum P. O*Department of Geography and Regional Planning

University of Calabar.

*Lead Presenter


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Introduction

Climate Change has been one of the most engagingenvironmental subjects of debate in recent times.

Scientific evidence has revealed that climate change is an allencompassing threat to the survival and development ofhumanity.

Climate change often result to mean higher averagetemperatures, changing rainfall patterns and rising sea level.

Developing countries are particularly vulnerable because oftheir agrarian economies.

The Niger delta of Nigeria is even more vulnerable to impactsof climate change because of its coastal status, making itsusceptible to flooding, erosion etc, when sea level rise andrainfall patterns changes.


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Climate change impacts agriculture as much as someagricultural / unsustainable land use practices impactsclimate change.

The Intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC)estimates that 31% of total emissions that causes

climate change came from agriculture, forestry andother land use practices.

The Climate is changing, and agricultural/ land usesystems must also change if we are to avoidcatastrophe.

Proper agricultural and sustainable land managementpractices can play a vital role in mitigating climate

change, but adaptation also remains important .


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IMPACTS OF AGRICULTURE ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Extensive deforestation for agriculture can affect microclimateinduce climate change

Agricultural sometimes alter land use as it is associated withsignificant conversion of forest and bush land.

This has a boomerang effect on climate change /patterns in thefollowing ways:

Temperature rise: e.g. temperature rise of 10 can affect yield ofcereal crops significantly in the tropics, and also heat stress oncattle.

Frequency and intensity of extreme events (drought, f loods) Unpredictable rainfall regime likely to impact negatively on the

productivity of sub Sahara Africas agriculture that is largely rainfed.


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THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON AGRICULTURE

The impacts of climate change on agriculture areassessed using the following assumptions:

Change in seasons: Change in season would lead to alteration in planting

dates, length of growing period and the eventual productivity Increased level of CO2 on the physiology of crop plants

and weeds

Changes in climate parameters, particularly

temperature and rainfall, on plants and animals; and Sea level rise on agricultural land.


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Projection for Nigeria based on 1% annual increase in

CO2 Concentration

Projection for Nigeria based on 1% annual increase in CO2Concentration for Rain forest zones indicates an increasein rainfall during the raining season months and a decrease

during the dry season months. Thus there is a probabilityof the dry seasons becoming drier while the rainy seasonbecomes wetter.

In the guinea savannah zone, a decrease in rainfall is

projected for the first four months of the year. This meansthat these normally dry years will become drier as thecentury rolls on.


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Objective This paper presents policy makers and other

stakeholders understanding of climate change

problems (climate change stress) faced by farmersand the adaptation measures to combat the riskthrough sustainable land management / Improvedagricultural practices in Cross River State.


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Methodology

A set of survey questionnaire was administered to policy makers in fourMDAs of relevance to the agriculture and sustainable land management

sectors in Cross River state, namely: Ministry of Lands

Cross River State Forestry Commission

Ministry of Agriculture

Investment Promotion Bureau

About 10 top management staff in each of the MDAs respondedcollectively (Group Response) to the set of survey questions Posed.

The questions posed covered issues such as

Background information

Major land use type

Major land degradation problems / severity

Climate change association with land degradation problems

Climate stress severity and adaptation /interventions


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Identified Climate Change Stress

12 stressors induced by Climate change that affect

agriculture were identified:1. Late rainfall or early cessation

2. Unreliable rainfall pattern

3. Increasing aridity of soil

4.

Change in river regime from perennial to seasonal5. Scarce water availability in quantity and quality

6. Dramatic reduction in crop yield

7. Increase in draught or flood events

8. Vegetation/ Biodiversity change due to changing climatecondition

9. Absence of migratory birds/ insects

10. Increased pest and disease of crops

11. Increased desertification

12. Others


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Analysis of climate change stress severity

response

A scale of 0-3 is used to code for severity of climatechange stress as perceived by Policy makers /Stakeholders

0 = No response 1 = Low severity

2 = Moderate severity

3 = High severity

The perception of climate change stress severity bydifferent policy makers /stakeholder in the selectedMDAs differs significantly.


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CLIMATE CHANGE STRESS On

Agriculture

Stress Assessment by policy makers

Ministry of

Lands

Forestry

Commission

Ministry of

Agriculture

Investment

PromotionBureau

Total Total

stressscore %

% relative

to all

Late rainfall or early cessation 1 2 3 3 9 75 11.25Unreliable rainfall pattern 0 2 3 3 8 67 10.00Increasing aridity of soil 0 0 1 2 3 25 3.75Change in river regime from perennial to

seasonal 0 3 3 2 8 67 10.00Scarce water availability in quantity andquality 2 3 2 1 8 67 10.00Dramatic reduction in crop yield 2 2 3 3 10 83 12.50Increase in draught or flood events 0 3 0 3 6 50 7.50Vegetation/ Biodiversity change due tochanging climate condition

1 3 2 3 9 75 11.25Absence of migratory birds/ insects

2 0 1 2 5 42 6.25Increased pest and disease of crops

0 3 3 3 9 75 11.25Increased desertification 0 0 3 2 5 42 6.25others 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00

100

Table showing results of coded ranking of Climate change stress severity as perceived

by policy makers /stakeholders in the selected MDAs

Source: Authors Computation /analysis


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15/25Source: Authors Computation /analysis


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Climate Change stress and crop yield patterns in Cross River State

Crop yield trend for tubers (metric 000 tons)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

cassava

yam

cocoyam

sweet potato

Source: Bisong F. E. 2009 NSIF-SLM Draft Report,


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Crop yield trend for Cereals & Legumes

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

maize

rice

groundnut

cowpea



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Crop yield trend for Vegetables

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

melon

okoro

pepper

tomato

garden egg

telfaria

water leaf

olitorus


Ad t ti f li t h t b f i CRS


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Adaptation of climate change stress by farmers in CRSas perceived by policy makers

CLIMATE CHANGE STRESS ADAPTATION OF AGRICULTURAL PRACTICE

1. Late rainfall or early cessation Planting early maturing varieties of crops; late/

early planting,2. Unreliable rainfall pattern Plant drought resistant varieties; irrigation

3. Increasing aridity of soil Irrigation

4. Change in river regime from perennial to

seasonal

Crop production is limited to only one season; dam/

river embankments

5. Scarce water availability in quantity andquality

Sinking of tube wells & boreholes; mulching

6. Dramatic reduction in crop yield Carryout mix-crop farming; fertilizer bags, Bush

Fallowing

7. Increase in draught or flood events Plant drought resistant varieties and early

maturing varieties; crop intensification/

afforestation8. Vegetation/ Biodiversity change due to

changing climate condition

NIL

9. Absence of migratory birds/ insects NIL

10. Increased pest and disease of crops Plant pest and disease resistant varieties; spraying

11. Increased desertification Afforestation12. Others


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Agricultural Innovations for climate change adaptation by

farmers in Niger Delta Region on Nigeria Adaptation by crop choice Improving local agricultural crop varieties that are well

acclimated as well as drought and pest resistant; Adaptation by altering tillage and husbandry, through:

use of minimum or zero tillage and other appropriatetechnologies that would reduce soil erosion and loss oforganic matter and nutrients

Adaptation by altering of input Adaptation by promoting policy Linking crop production to meteorological forecast: Meteorological Agency to alert farmers on weather; Farmers encouraged to use meteorological forecasts Synergizing indigenous knowledge with scientific

innovations


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Agriculture will need to become much moreefficient in its use of water and other inputs(Integrated nutrient management / improvedplanting materials, agroforestry systems, low

tillage etc.) in order to meet future food demand without

significantly increasing its contribution toanthropogenic climate change, while at the same

time, it will need to adapt to increased climaterisk.

h l b


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Enriching Soil Carbon Enhance soil through organic methods

Minimize soil tillage

Incorporate Biochar
http://www.junglephotos.com/people/crafts_ethnobot/ethnobotany/ethnobotany.html


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Soybean planted in no-till

system: no-till or zero-till

enhances soil productivity

through better soil coverage

and conserves limited moisture.

Intercropping of cassava and Plantain
http://www.junglephotos.com/people/crafts_ethnobot/ethnobotany/ethnobotany.html


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Thank You for

Your Attention

princewill-assessment of policy makers perception

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