IMPACT OF CLIMATE VARIABILITY ON RURAL LIVELIHOOD ON THE NIGERIAN MAMBILLA PLATEAU

The challenges of climate change are becoming a serious threat to sustainable economic development particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Small-scale farmers in the region suffer the most because of their dependence on rain-fed agriculture, limited financial and low adaptive capacity, high dependence on natural resources, low technology and poor infrastructures among others. An understanding of the emerging trend of climate variability and its impact on rural livelihood is an important starting point to climate change adaptation and mitigation. This study examines the incidence of climate variability and its impact on rural livelihood on the Nigerian Mambilla plateau. Climatic data such as mean monthly and annual temperature and rainfall totals and rain days per annum for 30 years (1981 – 2010) was obtained. The climatic data was used to determine the trends in the time series of parameters such as annual rainfall, length of rainy season, onset and cessation of rainy season using simple regression and correlation analysis. The result of the findings shows decreasing temperature, increasing annual rainfall, late onset and cessation and decreasing length of rainy season. The changing climatic trend is making it difficult for the farmers to properly time their planting season resulting in wilting of crops and necessitating replanting of seeds after the first planting. This study recommends the need to empower the farmers with information on climate change adaptation strategies and improved seed varieties.