Anthony Nyong University of Jos, Nigeria

1. Adapting to Droughts Among Poor Rural Households in Semi-arid Nigeria: Influencing Factors and Enhancing Opportunities Anthony Nyong University of Jos, Nigeria UNFCCC In-Session Workshop on Impacts of, and vulnerability and Adaptation to, Climate Change. Hotel Maritim, Bonn, Germany 18 June 2004

2. Acknowledgement • This report outlines some of the experiences drawn from an AIACC supported project on Assessing the Vulnerability and Adaptation of Households to droughts in the West African Sahel. • Funding for AIACC (Assessment of Impacts and Adaptations to Climate Change in Multiple Regions) was provided by GEF, USAID, CIDA and USEPA. • AIACC is jointly administered by START (Global SysTems for Analysis, Research and Training) and TWAS (Third World Academy of Science)

3. “Africa is Highly Vulnerable to Climate Change.”IPCC 2001

4. Introduction • Climate is changing with far reaching impacts • Recurrent drought is a major climatic problem affecting the livelihoods of the people in semi-arid northern Nigeria. • Not everyone is equally vulnerable. • Some have already adapted to the phenomenon, while others have not. So: • Who has adapted? • How have they adapted? • What factors influence their capacity to adapt?, and • What enhancement opportunities exist to further increase their adaptive capacity?

5. Project Context • From the beginning of the 20th Century, the following drought events have been recorded in Northern Nigeria: • 1904-1912 • 1914 – 1930 • 1942 • 1950-1952 • 1966 – 1968 • 1969 – 1974 • 1983 – 1984 • 1987

7. Adaptation Strategies • Use of shallow wells • Small-scale irrigation initiatives • Planting of drought-resistant crop varieties • Nomadism (transhumance) • Crop and animal diversification • Income diversification • Reliance on neglected local food resources • Relocation and migration

8. Influencing Factors (1) • Availability of Resources • Financial Resources • Human and Natural capital • Socio-cultural capital • Appropriate Technology • Water Extraction and storage • Climate forecast • Improved cropping systems and varieties

9. Influencing Factors 2 • Government Policy • National Drought Action Plan • Nomadic Education Program • Strategic Grains Reserve Program • Fadama Agriculture Program • National Emergency Management Agency • National Agency for Poverty Eradication • NEEDS

10. Influencing Factors (3) • Capacity Building through Establishment of Regional and National Institutions. • Presidential Implementation Committee on CDM • Attitudes and Perception of Stakeholders • The “victim” syndrome • Common Resource

11. Enhancing Opportunities for Adaptation (1) • Government Policy • Setting of long term national goals • Mainstreaming adaptation into national economic policies • Elimination of edge problems in managing drought and climate change issues • Institutional change (credit facilities, pricing & market policies) • Pursue beneficial impacts of climate change • Provide for the security of Lives

12. Enhancing Opportunities for Adaptation (2) • Agricultural systems • Develop new varieties in line with local norms (indigenous research) • Introduce appropriate technology • Evolve a system of attitudinal change in unsustainable agricultural practices • Extension services on information dissemination • Capacity Building • Build on Indigenous Knowledge to develop good practice guidance for the design of adaptation strategies • Establishment of a data bank to collate researches and information on vulnerabilities and adaptation

13. So? What do the people want?

14. As proposed by project sponsor Listen to the stakeholders As specified in project request As designed by senior analyst As produced by the programmers What the user wanted As installed at the user’s site