Drought and drought mitigation in Yobe State, Nigeria

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Wolverhampton for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).Drought is regarded as a natural phenomenon and its impacts accumulate slowly over a long period. It is considered to be insufficient precipitation that leads to water scarcity, as triggered by meteorological parameters, such as temperature, precipitation and humidity. However, drought mitigation has mostly been reactive, but this has been challenged by extreme events globally. Many countries and regions around the world have made efforts in mitigating drought impacts, including Nigeria. This research produced frameworks for drought amelioration and management as a planning tool for Yobe State, Nigeria. Mixed methods were employed to investigate the effects of drought; 1,040 questionnaires were administered to farmers in three regions of Yobe State (South, North and East). Some 721 were returned, representing a 69.3% return rate. Drought is pronounced in the State and has been recent over the years; it has also affected many people, with losses of ~70-80% of their harvests and livestock. Drought coping strategies have also caused environmental degradation in Yobe State. Farmers over-harvest their farms, practise deforestation and over-exploit wild animals. Several efforts to mitigate the impacts of drought by the Nigerian Government have failed, thus this research adopts a bottom-top approach to mitigate drought impacts in Yobe State. Focus Group Discussions (FGD) were also conducted at government and community levels to gather farmers’ and government officials’ opinions on their drought experience and suggestions for mitigation measures. Farmers believed that rainfall is their main problem and officials pointed that there are no proper drought mitigation plans in Yobe State. Four validated drought mitigation and management frameworks were developed for Yobe State. The frameworks were evaluated pre-use through respondent validation. State officials and farmers believed that these frameworks will reduce the impacts of drought in Yobe State. The frameworks include social, economic, environmental impact mitigation and an Integrated Drought Mitigation and Management Framework. The proposed frameworks were designed and have advocates a paradigm shift, using both proactive and reactive measures. A new drought definition was proposed based on the findings of the study. The definition states that drought is the shortage of rainfall or water that affects people’s livelihood and the environment both directly and indirectly

Problems of drought and its management in Yobe State, Nigeria

Drought poses an enormous global threat to sustainable development and is expected to increase with global climate change. Drought and desertification are major problems in Yobe State (north-east Nigeria). This study investigates the main problems associated with drought in Yobe State. Qualitative methods were employed to investigate socio-economic impacts of drought via Focus Group Discussions (FDG). Farmers and officials from the State Ministry of the Environment were the discussants. Both groups confirmed the frequency and severity of drought in Yobe. However, farmers have practises that cause environmental degradation. Developing a viable and holistic approach to drought mitigation is crucial, to arresting and hopefully reversing environmental degradation. Understanding the causes and consequences of drought will help develop drought mitigation and management strategies. Currently, there is no proper drought mitigation and management framework in Yobe State. This paper introduces the socio-economic and environmental effects of drought and makes recommendations for mitigation and management strategies in Yobe State

Socio-Economic Effects Of Drought In The Semi-Arid Sahel: A Review

Drought in the Sahel is a feature which affects different aspects of peoples’ lives and their environment, including the mortality of people and livestock. Lack of proper infrastructure also triggers effects on socio-economic activities. Severe drought and natural resource constraints triggered by water scarcity in the world’s drylands, in addition to rapid population growth, acute poverty and drought coping conditions, contribute to hunger, social conflicts and environmental degradation. Sahelian rainfall declined ∼20-30% towards the end of the 20th century; the 1970s droughts (‘Great Drought’) showed different severity across the region. In 2011 severe drought struck Somalia, causing a humanitarian crisis which affected over 10 million people, 2 million among them were malnourished children, leaving 380,000 refugees in Kenya. This research is a review of socio-economic effects of drought in Sahel to make recommendation for Yobe state, Nigeria