Determinants of Choice of Climate Change Adaptation Strategies among Rural Farming Households in Lokoja Local Government Area, Kogi State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined factors influencing the choice of climate change adaptation strategies among rural farming households in Lokoja Local Government Area, Kogi State, Nigeria. A total of 115 rural farmers constitute the sample size for this study. Descriptive and relevant inferential statistics such as multivariate probit model were used. The perceived effects of climate change in the study area were erosion/flooding, increase in rainfall, scarce of resources, increase in temperature, and increase in pest and disease infestation. The major adaptation strategies adopted by the  farmers in the study area were change in planting date (72.17%), change in harvesting date (67.83%), construction of drainage around homes/farms  (67.83%), income diversification (64.35%), and planting cover crops (58.26%). The result of the factors influencing choice of adaptation showed that gender, age, years of farming experience, access to credit, and training on climate change were the factors that influenced the choice of adaptation strategies in the study area. The major constraints to adoption of adaptation strategies in the study area were identified. The study concluded that selected socio-economic characteristics influenced the choice of rural farmers` adaptation strategies utilized in the study area. Government policies should be sensitive to support of trainings on climate change, education, credit access, farm size and household size