Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Climate Smart Adaptations in the African Tropics: Scaling Weather Information for Decision Support Outcomes in Nigeria Savannahs

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Handbook of Climate Change Resilience

Abstract

Extreme weather events and climatic variability exert tremendous influence on the livelihoods and decision-making processes of rural households in managing loss and damage in the dry savannah areas of Nigeria. Smallholders have long relied on traditional weather monitoring but unfortunately, increasing uncertainties in weather events have rendered indigenous knowledge obsolete. Renewed interest climate resilient development planning has raised the prospect of improved weather information as a decision support tool for future risk preparedness and early action. This study explored weather and climate forecast information that should be upscale in facilitating climate resilient adaptation decisions in sudan and guinea savannah areas of Nigeria. Rainfall probabilities are the most highly demanded weather forecast element by farmer users in the savannah areas. Onset date is the most profiled weather information required in adapting with delayed planting and drought resilient varieties, dry spell distribution will facilitate adapting with minimum tillage and cover cropping practices, while length of growing season is needed to take decision on early maturing varieties. Heckman probit estimates with Wald statistic of −0.614 and p-value of 0.0002 reveals gender, farming experience, annual farm income, and persistent occurrences of erratic rainfall as the significant factors that will catalyze rural decisions to adapt with resilient practices in the sudan savannah while farmers’ distance to weather station in addition will foster decisions on resilient practices in the guinea savannah of Nigeria.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • African Climate Policy Center (2011) Assessment of Africa’s climatic records and recording networks including strategic for rescuing of climatic data. Working paper 3 of the African Climate Policy Center (ACPC) of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Under the Climate for Development in Africa (Climdev Africa) Programme

    Google Scholar 

  • African Development Forum (2010) Acting on climate change for sustainable development in Africa. Climate risk management: monitoring, assessment, early warning and response. Issues paper 4. Seventh African Development Forum, 10–15 October 2010, Addis Ababa

    Google Scholar 

  • Alston M (2013) Gender mainstreaming and climate change. Women’s Studies International Forum, pp 1–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Anuforom AC (2010) Demonstration and assessment of climate change in Nigeria and development of adaptation strategies in the key Socio-economic sectors: meteorological approach. A paper presented to the National Stakeholders’ workshop on “developing national adaptation strategy and plan of action for Nigeria”. NiMet, Abuja

    Google Scholar 

  • Badu-Apraku B, Asuboah RA, Fakorede B, Asafo-Adjei B (2014) Strategies for sustainable maize seed production in West and Central Africa. IITA, Nigeria, p 140

    Google Scholar 

  • Bamire AS, Abdoulaye T, Sanogo D, Langyintuo A (2010) Characterization of maize producing households in the dry savanna of Nigeria. Country Report – Nigeria, IITA, Ibadan, 46 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • BNRCC (2011) Reports on research projects on impacts and adaptation– climate change in Nigeria: a compendium of reports commissioned by building Nigeria’s Response to Climate Change (BNRCC) Project implemented with the financial support of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and executed by CUSO-VSO and ICF Marbek, both of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryan E, et al. (2012) Adapting agriculture to climate change in Kenya: household strategies and determinants. J Environ Manage 114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burke M, Hsiang SM, Miguel E (2015) Global non-linear effect of temperature on economic production. Nature Research Letter. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature15725

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cahir JJ (2013) Weather forcasting encyclopedia Britannica. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/638321/weather-forecasting

  • Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (2015) Implementing climate-smart agriculture for enhanced food security and resilience. Progress report led by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and other Research Centres

    Google Scholar 

  • Crane TA, Roncoli C, Paz J, Breuer N, Broad K, Ingram KT, Hoogenboom G (2010) Forecast skill and farmers’ skills: seasonal climate forecasts and agricultural risk management in the southeastern United States. Weather Clim Soc 2(1):44–59. https://doi.org/10.1175/2009WCAS1006.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ekstrom JA, Moser SC, Torn M (2011) Barriers to climate change adaptation: a diagnostic framework. California Energy Commission. www.energy.ca.gov/2011publications/CEC-500-2011-004/CEC-500-2011-004.pdf

  • FAO (2013) Climate smart agriculture source book. United Nations. Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO (2015) Barriers, incentives and benefits in the adoption of climate smart agriculture: enhancing agricultural mitigation within East Africa Dairy Development project (EADD) in Kenya. FAO, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • Frisvold GB, Murugesan AM (2013) Use of weather information for agricultural decision making. Am Meteorol Soc. https://doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D-12-00022.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • George B (2013) Use of weather information for agricultural decision making. J Weather Clim Soc 5

    Google Scholar 

  • Goddard L, Aitchellouche Y, Baethgen W, Dettinger M, Graham R, Hayman P, Meinke H (2010) Providing seasonal to interannual climate information for risk management and decision-making. Proced Environ Sci 1:81–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proenv.2010.09.007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gunda T, Bazuin JT, Nay J, Yeung KL (2017) Impact of seasonal forecast use on agricultural income in a system with varying crop costs and returns: an empirically-grounded simulation. Environ Res Lett (12):3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hansen JW, Mason SJ, Sun L, Tall A (2011) Review of seasonal climate forecasting for agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa. Exp Agric 47:205–240. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479710000876

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heckman JJ (1976) The common structure of statistical models of truncation, sample selection and limited dependent variables and a simple estimator for such models. Ann Econ Soc Meas 5:475–492

    Google Scholar 

  • IFAD (2011) Rural Poverty Report 2011. International Fund for Agricultural Development, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • IFAD (2016) IFAD strategic framework 2016–2025: enabling inclusive and sustainable rural transformation, Rome, Italy

    Google Scholar 

  • IPCC (2014) Climate change 2014: impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

    Google Scholar 

  • IPCC (2015) Climate change 2014 synthesis report. Fifth Assessment Report

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones L, Carabine E (2013) Exploring political and socio-economic drivers of transformational climate policy: early insights from the design of Ethiopia’s Climate Resilient Green Economy strategy. Research reports and studies. Overseas Development Institute, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Kadi M, Njau LN, Mwikya J, Kamga A (2011) The state of climate information services for agriculture and food security in East African countries. CCAFS Working paper no 5. Copenhagen

    Google Scholar 

  • Kiem AS, Verdon-Kidd DC (2011) Steps towards ‘useful’ hydroclimatic scenarios for water resource management in the Murray-Darling Basin. Water Resour Res 47:W00G06. https://doi.org/10.1029/2010WR009803

  • Kimura Y (2001) A survey on the present status of climate forecasting. Available from the WMO Secretariat on CD-ROM: World Meteorological Organisation Commission for Climatology, Thirteenth Session, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • Lema AM, Majule AE (2009) Impacts of climate change, variability and adaptation strategies on agriculture in semi-arid areas of Tanzania: the case of Manyoni District in Singida Region, Tanzania. Afr J Environ Sci Technol 3(8):206–218

    Google Scholar 

  • Li ZH, Yang J, Shi CE (2012) Urbanization effects on fog in China: field research and modeling. Pure Appl Geophys 169(5–6):927–939

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maddison, D. (2006) The perception of and adaptation to climate change in Africa. CEEPA. Discussion paper no 10. Centre for Environmental Economics and Policy in Africa. University of Pretoria, Pretoria

    Google Scholar 

  • Madzwamuse M (2010) Climate governance in Africa: adaptation strategies and institutions. Heinrich Böll Stiftung (HBS)

    Google Scholar 

  • Meinke H, Howden M, Struik PC, Nelson R, Rodriguez D, Chapman SC (2010) Adaptation science for agriculture and natural resource management: urgency and theoretical basis. Curr Opin Environ Sustain 1:69−76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mugabe FT, Mubaya CP, Nanja DH, Munodawafa A, Gondwe P, Mutswangwa EA, Changonda C, Masere P, Makuvaro V, Dimes J, Murewi C (2010) Using indigenous knowledge for climate adaptation in Southern Zambia and South-Western Zimbabwe. Zimb J Sustain Dev Afr 11(2):237–256

    Google Scholar 

  • Mulobela, W. (2016) Early warning can cut climate disaster losses in Africa. Reports from the Thomson Reuters Foundation in Benin Republic, South Colonnade. http://news.trust.org/

    Google Scholar 

  • Nigerian Environmental Study/Action Team (2004) Climate change in Nigeria: a communication guide for reporters and educators. NEST, Ibadan, pp 5–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Nigerian Meteorological Agency (2012) Seasonal rainfall prediction: socio-economic implications for Nigeria. The 2013 annual seasonal rainfall prediction, Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Abuja

    Google Scholar 

  • NiMet (2013) NIMET (Establishment) Act, 2003. http://nimet.gov.ng/nimet-establishment-act-2003

  • Oguntunde PG, Abiodun BJ, Lischeid G (2011) Rainfall trends in Nigeria, 1901–2000. J Hydrol 411(3):207–218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Onuk EG, Ogara IM, Yahaya H, Nannim N (2010) Economic analysis of maize production in Mangu local government area of Plateau State, Nigeria. PAT 6(1):1–11. ISSN: 0794-5213. Online copy: www.patnsukjournal.net/currentissue

  • Oyekale AS (2015a) Access to risk mitigating weather forecasts and changes in farming operations in East and West Africa: evidence from a baseline survey. Sustainability 7:14599–14617. https://doi.org/10.3390/su71114599

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oyekale AS (2015b) Factors explaining farm households’ access to and utilization of extreme climate forecasts in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Environ Econ 6:91–103

    Google Scholar 

  • Ozor N (2009) Implications of climate change for National development: the way forward. Debating policy options for national development. Enugu Forum Policy

    Google Scholar 

  • Pal D, Laha AK (2014) Credit off-take from formal financial institutions in rural India: quantile regression results. Agric Food Econ (2):9. http://www.agrifoodecon.com/content/2/1/9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pindyck RS (2013) Climate change policy: what do the models tell us? J Econ Lit 51:860–872

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Revesz RL, Howard PH, Arrow K, Goulder LH, Kopp RE, Livermore MA, Oppenheimer M, Sterner T (2014) Global warming: improve economic models of climate change. Nature 508(7495):8–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sanni SA et al (2012) Traditional capacity for weather prediction, variability and coping strategies in the front line states of Nigeria

    Google Scholar 

  • Serna JM (2011) Drought assessment Northern Eastern Kenya (Wajir East, South and Mandera). Northern Eastern Kenya Drought Assessment Report

    Google Scholar 

  • Sowunmi FA, Akintola JO (2010) Effect of climatic variability on maize production in Nigeria. Res J Environ Earth Sci 2(1):19–30. ISSN 2041-0492

    Google Scholar 

  • StataCorp (2003) Stata base reference manual, G – M, release 8, vol 4. Stata Corporation, College Station

    Google Scholar 

  • Sulewski P, Kloczko-Gajewska A (2014) Farmers’ risk perception, risk aversion and strategies to cope with production risk: an empirical study from Poland. Stud Agric Econ 116(2014):140–114. https://doi.org/10.7896/j.1414

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swiss Re (2010) Innovative insurance solutions are key to helping local communities finance the rising costs of climate risks. Publication of the Swiss Reinsurance Company, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Traore B, Van-Wijk MT, Descheemaeker K, Corbeels M, Rufino MC, Giller KE (2014) Evaluation of climate adaptation options for Sudano-Sahelian cropping systems. Field Crop Res 156:63–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2013.10.014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UNDP (2011) Human development report 2011. Sustainability and equity: a better future for all. Palgrave Macmillan Publishers, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • UNFCCC (2002) Report of the conference of the parties on its seventh session, held at Marrakesh from 29 October to 10 November 2001. Addendum 4 part two: action taken by the conference of the parties. FCCC/CP/2001/13/Add. 4. UNFCCC Secretariat

    Google Scholar 

  • UNFCCC (2007) Climate change: impacts, vulnerabilities and adaptation in developing countries, report issued by Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC). Bonn, Germany

    Google Scholar 

  • UNFCCC (2015) Adoption of the Paris agreement. Proposal by the President, Conference of the Parties Twenty-first session. Draft decision -/CP.21

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] (2015) Climate change adaptation. Programme on climate information for resilient development in Africa (CIRDA)

    Google Scholar 

  • Verdon-Kidd DC, Kiem AS, Austin EK (2012) Decision making under uncertainty – bridging the gap between end user needs and climate science capability. National climate change adaptation research facility, Gold Coast, p 116

    Google Scholar 

  • Wheeler T, von Braun J (2013) Climate change impacts on global food security. Science 341(6145):508–513. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1239402

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wood SA, Jina AS, Jain M, Kristjanson P, DeFries RS (2014) Smallholder farmer cropping decisions related to climate variability across multiple regions. Glob Environ Chang 25:163–172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2013.12.011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Bank (2010) Africa infrastructure: a time for transformation. World Bank, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • World Bank (2013) Weather and climate resilience: effective preparedness through national meteorological and hydrological services (NMHSs) in the World Bank Development report of Rogers DP, Tsirkunov VV (2013) Directions in development – environment and sustainable development. World Bank, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Ziervogel G, Opere A (eds) (2010) Integrating meteorological and indigenous knowledge-based seasonal climate forecasts for the agricultural sector: lessons from participatory action research in sub-Saharan Africa. International Development Research Centre, Ottawa

    Google Scholar 

  • Ziervogel G, Zermoglio F (2009) Climate change scenarios and the development of adaptation strategies in Africa: challenges and opportunities. Clim Res 40(2–3):133–146. https://doi.org/10.3354/cr00804

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

I acknowledge the generous funding for this study by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) under the Adaptation Finance Fellowship Programme, the Thailand Development Research Institute, Bangkok, and the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, Frankfurt, which manage the partnership program and my participation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Federal University of Technology Akure, Akure, Nigeria

    David Olufemi Awolala

  2. Research Fellow, Adaptation Finance Fellowship Programme of the Thailand Research Development Institute Bangkok, Thailand and Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, Frankfurt, Germany

    David Olufemi Awolala

Authors
  1. David Olufemi Awolala
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David Olufemi Awolala .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. FTZ-NK, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences , Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Awolala, D.O. (2018). Climate Smart Adaptations in the African Tropics: Scaling Weather Information for Decision Support Outcomes in Nigeria Savannahs. In: Leal Filho, W. (eds) Handbook of Climate Change Resilience. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71025-9_169-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71025-9_169-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-71025-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-71025-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation