“Climate change and recent severe flooding in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria”

This paper considered the phenomenon of climate change in relation to frequent and intensified flood problems in Uyo, the Capital City of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.  Empirical evidence on the onset of climate change in Nigeria was presented. Flood problems worldwide were highlighted, together with their impacts in terms of deaths, economic losses and associated human sufferings. To this end, a detailed rainfall analysis was conducted for the study area, Uyo, using statistical distributions commonly deployed to describe climate states, such as the mean, the running  mean, the standard deviation, coefficient of variability, skewness, and kurtosis, as well as, parametric statistics such as Kruskal-Wallis test and ANOVA. Results showed that recent rainfall amounts and patterns in Uyo were out of step with  long-term mean conditions. For instance the 2005-2014 mean rainfall was 22% above the 30-year mean from 1985 to 2014. The rainfall Skewness and Kurtosis showed significant swings in the central tendency and confirmed the establishment of a new mean and a new standard deviation in the 2005-2014 decade. These trends were further confirmed to be statistically significant by Post Hoc Test at the 0.05 level. The implication of these findings is that rainfall is adding more water to surface runoff, leading to incessant, severe flood conditions. Although some effort has been made to reduce the incidence of flooding in Uyo through the provision of drains and storm sewers (pipe-jacking), a lot more needs to be done in terms of provision of infiltration surfaces (green areas) through sustainable urban renewal programme. Climate change mitigation options such as reducing gas flaring, bush burning, and fossil fuel combustion are recommended.Keywords: Climate Change; Flooding; Pipe-Jacking; Green Areas

Evaluating the Probability of Yield Thresholds and Change in Agricultural Risks in Some Parts of Northern Nigeria

There is increasing recognition of the effect that variations in climate may have not only on mean crop yield but also on the probability of achieving acceptable yield levels. In this study, we examined the role of crop zonation as an adaptive strategy for coping with climatic variations in the semi-arid region of northern Nigeria. We considered the probability of obtaining specific yield thresholds under defined climatic environments. Thus, it was possible to observe changes in agricultural risks among the rainfall stations under study. The stations were strategically selected to span the Sudan-Sahel zone of Nigeria, which makes them suitable for considering changes in agricultural risks and crop zonation experiments. The results showed that crops responded differently to changes in growing season precipitation across locations. We suggest that experiments on the probability of yield thresholds at different locations can be used to plan successful agricultural projects under a variable climate.Keywords: Yield thresholds, climate change, tropical agriculture, risk management

The impact of gas flaring on galvanize iron roofs in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria

No Abstract.Global Journal of Environmental Sciences Vol. 7 (1) 2008: pp. 35-3

Implication of Climate Variability for Latex Exudates F Rubber Tree (Hevea Brasilliensis) in the Humid Tropics of South Eastern Nigeria.

The study aimed at: assessing the relationship between latex exudates and climate variability; identifying the most critical climate element(s) in the yield variability of rubber; and examining the predictability of rubber yield based on climate variability. Fifteen years data was collected from documented, but unpublished, sources and analyzed using multiple step-wise regressions. Two models were developed and all suggested that variable rubber yield was significantly related to the joint influence of climate elements. The most significant variables identified however were rainfall, temperature and sunshine hours. These three elements had significantly negative effects on rubber yield. Analysis of residual and standard error however suggested that these models did not provide good and reliable prediction hence the data generated may have been by chance occurrence. This was suggested to be possible at the intra-annual scale because of multicollinearity that existed between the independent variables. It was therefore recommended that further studies be conducted with a more robust model be developed to incorporate as many independent variables as possible and factor analysis carried out as a reduction tool. Finally, that agro forestry planner should also consider the implications of climate variability for other tree crops.LWATI: A Journal of Contemporary Research Vol. 5 2008: pp. 400-41

Assessing farmers’ perspectives on climate change for effective farm-level adaptation measures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Agriculture is considered as the backbone of the economy of Pakistan. However, current changes in climate have been adversely affecting agricultural productivity. In this paper, perceived impacts of climate change on agriculture and adaptation towards it have been studied in Charsadda district (lowlands) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan through extensive field surveys, involving 116 farm households. Results have revealed that climate change factors including fluctuating temperature, evidence of yearly long droughts, and a steady shift in rainfall patterns have pressured the agriculture sector and livelihoods of the local peasants. The staggering floods of 2010 and 2011 in Pakistan have evidenced severe climatic changes in Pakistan. These countrywide floods have washed fertile soil in the study area that has directly contributed to losses in agricultural yield and increased vector-borne diseases in crops. The local farmers have commonly deployed adaptive measure such as crops diversification, changing fertilizer, and planting shaded trees to minimize the impacts of changes in climate. However, these adjustments measures are perceived as not appropriate for improving farm yield. Therefore, the study suggests that improved understanding of the climate change impacts and knowledge on adapting adequately will lead to no-regret adaptation. It will also help protecting farmer's lives and livelihoods and will boost their resilience towards changing climatic conditions