Behavioural Approaches of Rural Women Farmers to Mitigation and Adaptation Measures of Climate Change in Abia State, Nigeria

Abstract

Farmers’ behavioural attitudes towards climate change are complex and poorly understood, making difficult the development of mitigation and adaptation policies that would be accepted and implemented. The purpose of this paper is to assess the behavioural approaches of rural women farmers to adaptation measures of climate change in Abia State, Nigeria. Specifically, this paper ascertains perceived effects of climate change in the study area and adaptation measures practised by the women in the study area and identifies farmers’ behavioural responses to adaptation measures to climate change and factors that influence farmers’ behavioural approach to adaptation measures to climate change in the study area. Multistage sampling techniques were used in selecting 180 respondents for the study. Descriptive statistics was used for data analysis, while Tobit regression model and Pearson’s correlation were used to test the hypotheses. Results show that high sunshine intensity, increased drought, inadequate access to water and crop losses are major perceived changes to climate change, while change of planting time ($\bar{x} = 4.79$), enterprise diversification ($\bar{x} = 4.51$) and crop rotation ($\bar{x} = 4.22$) are major adaptation measures practised by the women in the study area. Seeking for information based on observed changes ($\bar{x} = 5.00$), reverting to indigenous or self-help methods and changing cropping style and time ($\bar{x} = 3.41$) were identified as major behavioural responses of the women to climate change, while Tobit regression result indicated that age (−2.795**), household size (2.705**), level of education (3.389***) and income (2.505**) were major factors that influence the women farmers’ behavioural approach to adaptation measures to climate change in the study area. Pearson’s correlation analysis shows that there is a significant relationship between the women’s behavioural responses to adaptation measures to climate change and adoption of adaptation measures by the women. The study has examined and shown the women’s level of conformity, constraints and factors that influence their adoption of adaptation and mitigation strategies in the study area. It is therefore recommended among others that targeted and timely information be provided to the women through agricultural extension and mass media, the most effective and sustainable indigenous technologies used by the farming communities could be incubated with a view to upscale and out scale them in other to enhance adaptation to climate change and variability by the resource-poor farmers. ICT-driven virtual platform that provides weather advisory services for small-scale farmers should be made available through rural advisory services (RAS). This will help farmers handle climate risk situation promptly.