Background of the Study
Agriculture is one of the most important sectors of the Nigerian economy, accounting for around 42% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and more than 70% of the country's exports of goods other than oil. It satisfies more than 80 percent of the nation's dietary requirements (Oyekale, Bolaji, & Olowa, 2021). There are around 70 percent of Nigerians who reside in rural areas, and 90 percent of those people work in agriculture. This suggests that agriculture is a crucial industry that has the potential to favourably impact the lives of the vast majority of Nigerians (Okolo, 2004). This industry has been gravely challenged by a number of issues, the most significant of which are climate-related calamities like as drought and floods. Despite its large contribution to the economy as a whole, this sector has been facing serious challenges (Ozor, Madukwe, Enete, Amaechina, Onokola, Eboh, Ujah, & Garforth, 2022). According to Udofia (2001), the terrifying impacts of climatic variability on the entire environment have reached a global dimension. This conclusion was reached by the author. In spite of the widespread awareness of its impacts as well as the ecological and economic repercussions, it would appear that these issues have not received the level of serious attention they merit.
The statistical description of climate, expressed in terms of mean and variability of key parameters over a time period ranging from months to hundreds or millions of years is referred to as climate. According to the definition provided by the World Meteorological Organization, the classical period lasts for a period of thirty years (WMO, 1992). Surface variables like as temperature, precipitation, and wind speed are most frequently included in this category of values. The distinction between climate and weather is that climate is what you anticipate, while weather is what actually occurs. Climate is what you anticipate, while the weather is what actually occurs (Ozor, Madukwe, Enete, Amaechina, Onokola, Eboh, Ujah, & Garforth, 2022). The phrase "climate variability" refers to the natural aspects of weather that are borne out in the shifts in weather patterns that occur over the course of a certain period of time (Palatnik, & Roson, 2021). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2001) provides the following definition of climate variability: "variations in the mean state and other statistics (such as standard deviations, the occurrence of extremes, etc.) of the climate on all temporal and spatial scales beyond that of individual weather events." [Climate variability] "variations in the mean state and other statistics (such as standard deviations, the occurrence of extremes, etc.) of the climate on all This concept makes it possible to think about climate change as a low-frequency component of climate variability, which means that it can be handled using the same quantitative tools and research methodologies as before (Mertz and Stone, 2003). Climate fluctuation can improve or lessen a local area's competitive advantage in agriculture.
Alterations in the amount of water that is available in the soil, a rise in the frequency of temperature extremes, climate fluctuations, and crop diseases all have the potential to contribute to an overall drop in crop output and a severe food crisis (Palatnik, & Roson, 2021). According to some projections, by the end of the 21st century, the variability of the climate will have had a significant impact on the output of crops (Slater et al 2007). Although it is impossible for humans to make a precise forecast of what the upcoming season will bring, the agricultural industry, input suppliers, the marketing industry, and the government would all like to know because this information is essential to decision making. Variability in climate has led to unpredictability in terms of temperature, rainfall, and wind patterns (Oyekale, Bolaji, & Olowa, 2021). As a consequence of this, people living in rural areas of nations like Nigeria, whose primary source of income or economic activity is agriculture, are confronted with a great number of difficulties in terms of the decisions they must make regarding their agricultural endeavours ( Barnwal and Kotani, 2010). According to Nyong, Adesina, & Osman-Elasha (2007), climate variability adaptation methods are those tactics that enable the person or the community to cope with or adjust to the repercussions of the change in climate. These approaches can also be used to communities. Despite the fact that Zeirvogel et al. (2008) stated that the world has been going through a series of adaptations in response to climate variability, it is anticipated that the current climate change will provide an increased risk, novel combinations of risks, and potentially severe consequences. As a result, adaptation has been recognised as one of the policy options that can be utilised to reduce the negative effects that climatic variability has on agricultural output (Oyekale, Bolaji, & Olowa, 2021). Adaptation helps farmers achieve their goals of food, income, and livelihood security in spite of shifting climatic and socioeconomic conditions. These conditions include climatic variability, extreme weather conditions such as droughts and floods, and volatile short-term changes in both local and large-scale markets (Kandlinkar and Risbey, 2000). One of the policy measures that has been regarded as having the potential to mitigate the debilitating consequences of climate unpredictability is agricultural adaptation (Kurukulasuriya & Mendelsohn, 2008). According to a study that Mendelsohn and Dinar conducted in 1999 at the farm level, significant reductions in the negative impacts caused by climatic variability are feasible when adaptation measures are fully put into place (FAO, 2007). Some adaptation tactics for crop production among farmers include the planting of early maturing crops, mulching, small scale irrigation, adopting hardy types of crops, growing trees and staking them to minimise heat burns, and so on (Nyong, et al, 2007). The process of agricultural adaptation in Nigeria is fraught with a great deal of difficulty. According to Nzeh & Eboh (2011), the most significant barrier to successful agricultural adaptation is likely a lack of awareness and understanding regarding the fluctuation of the climate. According to Onyeneke & Madukwe (2010), other obstacles include a lack of information on suitable adaptation options, inadequate access to markets, and a paucity of agricultural labour (Palatnik, & Roson, 2021).
According to Apata et al. (2010), capital, land, and labour serve as significant variables for coping with adaptation. They also emphasised that the absence of these factors as well as the choice of adequate adaptive measures form a severe barrier to agricultural adaptation. This corroborates the findings of Deressa et al. (2008), who found that adjusting to climatic variability is an expensive endeavour, which is made even more expensive by the requirement of intense labour utilisation. As a result of this, the development of a number of different adaptation strategies is required in order to make adjustments to the variable climate. In light of the changing climate, these policies put an emphasis on risk management, minimising vulnerability, increasing agricultural productivity, safeguarding the environment, and assuring sustainable development (Palatnik, & Roson, 2021).
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