Evaluation of Environmental and Vulnerability Impact of Bush Burning in Southern Guinea Savanna of Adamawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Aims: To evaluate farmer’s perceptions about the environmental and vulnerability impact of bush burning.  Study Design: Field survey. Place and Duration of Study: Southern Guinea savanna of Adamawa State, Nigeria, between 1995 and 2010.  Methodology: The respondents interviewed were selected using a simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques proportional to the size of the areas studied. A sample of 120 respondents formed the sample size. Data were collected from hunters, farmers, herdsmen, foresters and civil servants in the study area. At the end of data collection only 100 questionnaires were correctly filled and returned. The remaining 20 were rejected owing to inconsistencies in their responses. Descriptive statistical analyses such as frequency and percentage were used to analyze the data obtained using statistical package for social science (SPSS 13). Results: The results obtained show that 96% of the respondents interviewed were males and 4% females. Most of them were aged between 31 to 40 years with 45% representing active part of the population. 30% of the respondents engaged in farming, 21% hunting, 20% pastoralists, 16% foresters and 13% civil servants. Almost all the respondents agreed that they practice bush burning in order to derive various benefits that include; 24% as a means of land clearing and 18% on maintenance of soil productivity. 23% were on the view that it promotes rapid growth of succulent vegetation for livestock. 18% said that it helps them in their hunting expedition and 14% looked at it as a means of conserving the natural vegetation. At the same time 27% of the respondents maintained that this practice leads to lack of pasture for livestock, 22% pointed out that it leads to destruction of wildlife habitat, others, 18% observed that it brings about reduction in soil fertility, promotes soil erosion and also destroys soil micro-organisms. An overwhelming view was that due to this practice, the climate was getting drier. 27% of the respondents attributed the dryness to a reduction in the amount of rainfall, 24% observed that there was decrease in vegetation cover, 20% maintained that there is increase in hammattan dust and others, 16% and 13% said there has been drying of water bodies and poor harvest. A pressing issue is how to support people to use the soils, the biota and other natural resources without destroying those resources, and without affecting the climate adversely.