Micro-level Analysis of Determinants of Farmers' Adaptation Measures to Climate Change in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria: Lessons from Bayelsa State

The broad objective of this study was to analyse the determinants of climate change adaptation measures by farmers in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria with particular focus on Bayelsa State. Primary data were collected with the use of questionnaire administered to two hundred farmers. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics and multinomial logit regression. The results indicate that most farmers perceived that long-term temperatures are increasing. Also, the overall perception on long-term changes in precipitation is that the region is getting wetter and that there are pronounced changes in the timing of rains, and frequency of rainstorms. These perceptions are in line with trend analysis results of data from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency. The result showed that use of resistant varieties, change from livestock to crop production and use of wetlands were the most commonly used method as 35.00%, 32.00% and 31.00% of the farmers respectively confirmed it. Farmers’ socioeconomic characteristics significantly affected the probability of uptake of adaptation measures to counteract the negative effects of climate change. Farmers’ access to free extension services, farm income, output, gender, awareness of climate change, experience, and education affected adaptation to changing climate. This result underlines the important role of increased formal and informal institutional support in promoting use of adaptation options to reduce the negative effects of climate change. It is recommended that government policies need to support research and development that develops and diffuses the appropriate technologies to help farmers adapt to changes in climatic conditions.