Determinants of the use of Indigenous Coping Strategies against Climate Change among Smallholder Farmers in Katsina State, Nigeria

Abstract

Aims: This study assessed the indigenous coping strategies employed by smallholder farmers in response to adverse effects of climate change in Katsina State and the factors that determine the use of such strategies. Place and Duration of Study: The research was carried out in Ajiwa and Dutsinma zones of Katsina State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority. The study was initiated in March, 2013 and ended in April, 2014. Methodology: A sample of 200 farmers was randomly selected from a sample frame of 1332 irrigation farmers. Structured interview and focus group discussion were employed for data collection. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics, coping strategy index and regression analyses. Results: Age of respondents, total land size, total annual income and years of membership of farmers’ cooperatives were found to be positively related to the use of indigenous coping strategies against climate change and significant at 1% probability. The constraints to the effective use indigenous coping strategies against climate change were identified to be: Poverty (identified by 87.5% of the respondents), poor record keeping and documentation (84%), poor access to information on climate change (72%), low level of education (59.5%), uncertainty in the agricultural enterprises due to reliance on natural conditions (46.5%), land tenure system (39%) and inadequate physical and social infrastructure in the rural areas (29.5%). Conclusion: Despite the constraints hindering effective use of indigenous coping strategies among smallholder farmers in the study area, they were able to, over time, develop and fine-tune such strategies.