Research Teams from the University of Lagos, Lead City University, and the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) have appealed to the Kwara State government to improve the adaptation and resilience of the rural communities in the state to climate change

The experts were part of the collaborative research code-named, ‘A Pan-African and Transdisciplinary Lens on the Margins – Tackling the Risks of Extreme Events (PALM-TREEs)’ jointly conducted by researchers from the University of Lagos, Lead City University, and the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER).

The submission was part of the presented results from the three-year project on Climate Extremes and interventions to support climate adaptation and resilience of the marginalised groups in rural communities of Kwara State.

The PALM-TREEs research project, funded under the Climate Adaptation and Resilience (CLARE) Programme of the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC),  is focused on drought and flood in eight local councils – Asa, Moro, Ifelodun, Oyun, Edu, Patigi, Kaiama and Baruten.

According to the PALM-TREEs Project Lead for Kwara State, Prof. Mayowa Fasona, the rural people suffers from climate-driven multidimensional compound extremes including flooding, extreme heat, low rainfall, extreme rainfall, soil infertility, land degradation, insect and pest activities, and lack of water.

The report reads in part:  “However, drought is considered the most important climate extreme affecting the generality of the rural people. Physical drought indices suggest an increasing trend in agricultural drought in Kwara State from 1981 to 2022 with about 40 per cent of the state experiencing high to very high drought risk with severe prolonged water deficits, leading to critical declines in soil moisture, water resources, and ecosystem stability. Eighty-three per cent of the research participants have experienced damage to crops, 63 per cent experienced livestock losses and 57.4 per cent did not have access to safe or improved drinking water.

“Historical flood reconstruction using satellite images show that the annual flow regime of the Niger River is the major driver of flooding, with the riparian LGAs most affected.  The Niger River progressively increases in volume from August and reaches its peak in October. Thus, September and October are the most disastrous flooding periods. However, out of season floods are also being recorded due to water release from upstream dams.

“At least 37 per cent of the research participants are worried about their livelihood because of flooding and at least 30 per cent have experienced damage to belongings. Food insecurity due to weather and conflicts with the concomitant high cost of food is a serious issue. 54.3 per cent believes their household income is unstable or unreliable over time. Self-help and meagre community members’ assistance are the mainstay for the people on the margins including PWDs, widows, the elderly, and other vulnerable groups. 56.4 per cent have never received any government support.

“Poor development of rural institutions (farmers organizations, resource user groups, cooperatives, microfinance institutions, financial services associations, CDAs, etc.)  increases vulnerability to climate impacts. Many of the participants do not belong to any rural organizations. 58.4 per cent do not belong to any cooperative group, 66.2 per cent have no access to microfinance, and only 48 per cent have access to any social network. Sixty-five per cent of the rural people  have never attended any livelihood training, 55 per cent do not have any means to cope by preparing in advance, 66 per cent think there is not  enough response from government and 60 per cent think they are not getting government support for climate adaptation.”

The PALM-TREEs project empowered nine women groups across nine communities with water  infrastructure including solar powered borehole, water pump with hoses and suction, surface well, water storage tank and watering cans. Ten men groups across nine communities were also supported with simple garden tools and 4,400 climate resilient local economic tree species including cashew, shea butter and locust bean for agroforestry to deepen land improvement and sustainable land management.

Transformative intervention sessions were also conducted for women and men groups on nutrition improvement and fortification and post-harvest food waste and production of  organic liquid protective fertilizer. In total, over 3,500 rural people have been impacted by PALM-TREEs transformative interventions in Kwara State.

The report said the PALM-TREEs project has increased the people’s awareness about climate change impacts, enhanced capacity to respond/adapt to climate change, improved community empowerment, enhanced access to water, deepened the sense of sustainable land management, strengthened extension services, deepened knowledge co-creation, strengthened gender-sensitive planning, and mainstreamed local solutions.

During the Validation Workshop, the project participants, representatives of beneficiary communities and other stakeholders were very impressed and appreciative of the efforts of the PALM-TREES. They appeal to the Kwara State government to take up the key findings of this landmark project to improve the adaptation and resilience of the rural communities to climate change.