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• This paper addresses an acknowledged knowledge gap by exploring both impact and risk in an African cultural context. • This paper is the first to assess the same methodology at two very different site types in two very different regions. • This paper presents a bottom-up, values-based and community focused approach to understanding climate risk. • This paper presents an approach to embed sustainable change, with a strong focus on capacity building and knowledge exchange. Climate change is a major threat to global heritage and many sites are already experiencing impacts from climate change and related hazards. Recent studies have indicated that this challenge is especially acute in the African continent. Climate vulnerability assessment is increasingly a key tool in periodic reporting and ongoing site management and an essential first step in climate adaptation planning. This paper presents results from climate vulnerability assessments undertaken at two UNESCO World Heritage (WH) properties: The Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara in Tanzania; and the Sukur Cultural Landscape in Nigeria. These assessments each applied a version of the Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI), a values-based, science-driven and community-focused technique. A values mapping exercise identified key heritage and socioeconomic values, including key attributes associated with the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the WH property. Downscaled climate projections were used to identify key hazards over selected emissions scenarios and timeframes, before weighing potential impacts against local adaptive capacities. Based on the timeframes and emissions scenarios, the project found OUV Vulnerability was Moderate at the Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara and Low at the Sukur Cultural Landscape, whilst the Community Vulnerability was Low for both properties. The paper will conclude with some wider observations on the application of climate vulnerability assessments in an African context and a focus on lessons learned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of climate change on women farmers' livelihoods and poverty incidence in Nigeria. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, using primary and secondary data sources to analyse the effect of climate shocks on women farmers. The study finds that women farmers in both communities are experiencing significant impacts on their livelihoods due to climate change, resulting in increased poverty incidence. The study recommends that future action plans dedicated to climate change adaptation should not be standalone. Still, it should form part of a national and sub-national strategy aimed at poverty reduction and improving livelihood, especially for women. Additionally, the paper recommends collating specific meteorological data in an inexpensive and easily understandable form and expanding extension services to ensure proper targeting of small women farmers. The study also suggests using crop diversification through a land transformation scheme to mitigate against low rainfall, with women farmers potentially serving as sharecroppers within larger farms. The paper concludes by emphasising the importance of sustaining supply and demand-driven initiatives stipulated in the plan and ensuring the political will to allocate land to women farmers. Overall, the study highlights the need for gender-sensitive policies and strategies that account for the unique vulnerabilities of women farmers in the face of climate change, especially for future adaptation strategies. • Small women farmers with better access to improved seedlings mitigated climate shocks, sustaining agriculture and consumption with marginal income change • Male partners with knowledge of adaptation strategies, served as knowledge pass through to female partners. • Climate shocks increased burden of care, child labour, and increased incidence of domestic violence. • Flood-focused crop diversity aims at income, not adaptation. • Extension services propagate climate related information in the context of limited knowledge on national policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The agricultural sector in Nigeria provides a socio-economic resource base for exiting pervasive poverty, and transforming the economy. However, with the challenges posed by climate change through variability in rainfall, the agricultural livelihoods and poverty status of the population could be threatened due to the vulnerability context of the country. This paper explores the relationship between rainfall and food poverty through the assessment of vulnerability to climate change in an agricultural economy by geo-referencing and mapping of rainfall variability and food poverty. It provides a quantification of the scale and location of the area under food poverty and rainfall variability with scenarios that provide alternative sustainable development pathways of desirable outcomes. The coefficients of variation of rainfall or precipitation seasonality were computed from geo-referenced data and topologically overlaid on the most recent food poverty profile for Nigeria. The findings reveal intriguing phenomena bordering on agro-climatic and socio-economic factors of climate change vulnerability. The findings provide a basis for policy formulation and implementation on inequity of food poverty and environmental sustainability. It offers empirical insights on how to rethink concepts of socio-economic and environmental sustainability through landscapes and livelihoods as outcomes of vulnerability contexts. The paper concludes that, there is need for agricultural transformation along vulnerability dimensions. The evidence of the nexus between rainfall and food poverty could be a new model for promoting sustainability of the agrarian economy in Nigeria. Highlights • Rainfall variability exacerbates food poverty in rain-fed agricultural-based economy. • Agroecological-based system of agricultural production enhances agricultural livelihoods and environmental resilience. • The nexus between precipitation and poverty has implications for landscape, livelihoods and sustainable agricultural development. • Strategic climate change adaptation policy should aim at improving food poverty situation, and boosting resilience through agroecological-based food production system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global anthropogenic activities resulting in the emission of harmful greenhouse gases (GHGs) to the atmosphere have increased the challenges faced from climate change. The greater awareness of the need to mitigate climate variability has brought about intense focus on the adverse impacts of fossil-fuel based energy on the environment. Being the single largest source of carbon emissions, energy supply has attracted much attention and more so that, climate change impacts extend beyond national boundaries. Since energy use is sine qua non to economic development, scientists have reiterated the necessity of developing and utilising renewable energy. Although, past and present CO 2 emissions have and are majorly caused by industrialized countries, it is envisaged that future GHGs emissions would be mostly from developing countries as they industrialize. Renewable energy sources that include biomass, hydroelectric, wind, solar and hydrothermal systems, are carbon-neutral, releasing relatively no emissions. This paper discusses the initiatives associated with the provision of renewable energy to the energy mix in Nigeria as an indication of the country’s commitment to adopt a sustainable development strategy in shaping the economy. It reviews the literature and employs a discourse analysis to examine the limited use of renewable energy sources in Nigeria and the factors prevailing against their development. The paper concludes by identifying social and political obstacles as most significant roadblocks towards rapid implementation of a green economy through the deployment of renewable energy for sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper combines panel data from nationally representative household-level surveys in Nigeria with long-term satellite-based spatial data on temperature and precipitation using geo-referenced information related to households. It aims to quantify the impacts of climate change on agricultural productivity, income shares, crop mix, and input use decisions. We measure climate change in harmful degree days, growing degree days, and changes in precipitation using long-term (30 year) changes in temperature and precipitation anomalies during the crop calendars. We find that, controlling for other factors, a 15% (one standard deviation) increase in change in harmful degree days leads to a decrease in agricultural productivity of 5.22% on average. Similarly, precipitation change has resulted in a significant and negative impact on agricultural productivity. Our results further show that the change in harmful degree days decreases the income share from crops and nonfarm self-employment, while it increases the income share from livestock and wage employment. Examining possible transmission channels for this effect, we find that farmers change their crop mix and input use to respond to climate changes, for instance reducing fertilizer use and seed purchases as a response to increases in extreme heat. Based on our findings, we suggest policy interventions that incentivize adoption of climate-resilient agriculture, such as small-scale irrigation and livelihood diversification. We also propose targeted pro-poor interventions, such as low-cost financing options for improving smallholders' access to climate-proof agricultural inputs and technologies, and policy measures to reduce the inequality of access to livelihood capital such as land and other productive assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Increasing demands for energy, growing environmental concerns and the constraints of conventional energy sources have generated the need for public education on renewable energy, and the need for government policy to embrace renewable energy technologies. This paper is based on a previous study that explored the beliefs, perceptions and attitudes of the Nigerian public to renewable energy technologies so as to derive implications for science and technology policy and education in the country. A sequential mixed-method approach was employed in the study. First, a survey with close-ended questions was administered to 600 randomly selected participants from Ibadan, Akobo and Asi. This was followed by four focus group interviews held with 23 purposefully selected participants from the study. Statistical and thematic analyses were conducted. The results show that the participants have a low-level knowledge of renewable energy technologies. There is also no relationship between the educational level of the participants and their knowledge of renewable energy technologies. The majority of the participants were not aware of sustainable development. The outcome of this study underscores the need to widen the nation's science and technology policies as well as its educational curriculum to incorporate themes addressing renewable energy and sustainable livelihood. Highlights • There is a general low level knowledge of renewable energy technologies among the participants with the males having a higher score than the females. • There is no relationship between renewable energy knowledge and the educational level of participants. • Many of the participants are not aware of greenhouse emissions and sustainable development. • The majority of the participants got their information about renewable energy technologies from the television. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deployments of renewable energy technologies in the current century represent a critical approach to sustainable development. Renewable energy can be generated from sources with the backdrop to restock themselves based on timescale. The most important sources of renewable energy include solar photovoltaic conversion technologies, biomass and biofuel energy systems, wind energy turbines, geothermal energy technologies and hydroelectric power systems. Considerable investment in renewable energy in a country can lower the nation's dependency on imported fuels and purchase of energy from foreign market. It also drives technological innovation and generate employment scheme while enhancing clean development mechanism. Consequently, this paper presents the existing renewable energy technologies in the Nigeria and as well makes some critical recommendations to further induce development of renewable and sustainable energy systems based on autonomous energy systems and microgrid (µgrid) technologies. The recommendations are made based on varieties of energy technologies for solar power generation, biomass and bioenergy, wind energy, hydropower generation and the combined generation systems using hybrid energy mechanism. The structure of the study is concluded based on suggestions on how to pursue some impending socio-political, technological, investment policy and legislative issues for effective renewable energy development in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity is the basic tool that drives industrialization, technological advancement, engineering transformation and economic growth all over the world. The situation of Nigeria's electricity power sector is one that has defied virtually every effort made to resurrect it from its state of dilapidation. A major concern is “can there ever be stable and cost effective electricity in Nigeria?” The authors are positive this can be realised, but not without considering other forms of electricity energy resources available in Nigeria other than the conventional sources of electricity which is currently the mainstay. A deliberate transition from conventional sources of electricity energy to renewable and environmental friendly sources is critical for national development, even though recent development show the Nigerian government is backsliding in adopting renewable energy technologies. This paper will be used to highlight the different sources of renewable energy which is critical to solve the lingering problem of electricity generation in Nigeria. Hence, based on the literature, modeled scenarios and field experience, the authors discovered it is much easier for individuals to drive this transition to 100% renewable energy than to continue to depend on government forever. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to coastal areas, river deltas which are located in coastal zone, have complex morphologies, because river waters and sediments are transported through the deltas into the sea. A delta can have many elements included, such as barrier islands, multiple estuaries, sand beaches, or mud coasts. It can be crisscrossed by rivers emanating from different sources and carrying different types of sediments; which differentiate the segments of the coast. Generally, deltas are fertile and highly productive, attracting agricultural activities and trade and thus densely populated. The physical properties of deltas and anthropogenic activities make them vulnerable to the effects of the changing climate; however when evaluation of vulnerabilities is important many coastal deltas lack even the most basic necessary data (e.g water level) for performing such a task. Data availability is one of the most important factors for analysis, assessment and modeling of physical and other phenomena related to river and coastal systems. Although lower Niger delta is classified as one of the deltas of the world vulnerable to the effects of climate change, it has little availability of data for hydrologic and hydraulic modeling. Present paper will show how to model the possible effect of a rise in sea levels on the lower Niger delta, by dividing its coastline into 54 segments based on slope, elevation and presence of large estuaries. The segments are analyzed for vulnerability to flooding, erosion and inundation. The parts identified as the most vulnerable are modeled using Deltares’ DFlow modelling methodology, using a flexible mesh for discretization of the modeled area. Satellite derived DEM is used to calculate an upstream rating curve for the Bonny River, and to provide topographic data. Sea level rise is represented by changes in the tidal level to reflect IPCC predictions of sea levels by 2050 and 2100. The results are analyzed for flooding and inundation, increase in land loss, water depth and flood extent as compared with no sea level rise scenarios. Also, dry and wet land losses are mapped and quantified within a GIS environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Those informed about agriculture are not the same as those with influence on it. • Non-sectoral leaders shape agricultural spending far more than agricultural leaders. • Nigerian states can protect their budgets from federal influence. • However, local government budgets are strongly steered by states. • Leaders fund visible, quickly materialising investments, disfavouring agriculture. With emerging recognition of changing climates' impact on agricultural productivity, a sharper lens is focused on how to target agricultural public investments for development. This paper contributes to an understanding of budget decision-making processes in agricultural development, by examining to what extent those with superior information and expertise on a sector have sway over how public resources to the sector are allocated. The empirical qualitative analysis of this paper employs process tracing with an embedded case study design, based on interviews of 79 senior public sector key-informants in Nigeria. We also analyzed quantitative public expenditure data in the study areas. We draw insights from theories of information asymmetries in the public sector along three dimensions. Within the first type of information asymmetry, we find that, despite the higher agricultural technical expertise that sector bureaucrats have vis-à-vis the elected non-sector-specific chief executives, it is the latter who heavily influence agricultural resource allocation. In the second form of information asymmetry, the benefits from superior lower-tier information are only exploited at one subnational (state) level but not at the other (local government) level. Within the third kind of information asymmetry, public leaders prioritize funding for those types of public investments that are more visible by their nature, and outputs of which materialize relatively rapidly; this disfavors agriculture. Going beyond the literature on the impact of information interventions, this study sheds light on the extent to which information already in the public sector is tapped into to guide the provision of public goods and services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Values, patriarchal norms, and traditions related to gender and gendering are diverse among societies, communities, and precincts. As such, although climate change is expected to exacerbate vulnerabilities and deepen existing gender inequities and inequalities, the impacts will be unequally felt across geographical strata. This implies that the specificity of the vulnerability of women to climate change may also vary from community to community and society to societies. However, mainstream literature on the vulnerability of women to climate changes in coastal zones trivializes the plurality and nuances of different geographical contexts by universalizing context-specific vulnerability to climate change. Mindful of the limitations associated with the generalizing conception of women's vulnerability, this paper is therefore underpinned by the implicit assumption that a successful response to the vulnerability of women to climate change in coastal zone is forged in the nexus between contextual investigation of climate change parameters and a localized investigation of differentiation in gender roles, patriarchal norms and other unknown factors in a particular setting. Thus, this paper presents a case study of the contextual vulnerability of women to climate change in Ilaje coastal region in Nigeria. Examining the intersecting complex of contextual factors, the paper establishes that beyond patriarchal traditions and norms: economic, political, educational and environmental factors are at play in the vulnerability of women to climate change in Ilaje community. To this end, this paper posits that to alleviate the vulnerability of women to climate change in coastal zones, the understanding of contextual factors play a fundamental role. Image 1071 • This study shows the vulnerability of women to climate change in Ilaje coastal region of Nigeria. • The vulnerability of Ilaje women are due to economic, environmental, and sociocultural factors. • Ilaje women are custodians of local knowledge. • Gender inequality, capacity building and empowerment should be addressed in this region. • Involvement of Ilaje women is crucial for mitigation and adaptation of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erratic temperatures and precipitation influence nutrition, human capital investment, and living standards, particularly for children. This study investigates the effect of climate change (changes in the monthly maximum average near-surface temperature and total monthly precipitation) on children's health outcomes, particularly stunting and underweight, in Nigeria. We combine Living Standards Measurement Study - Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) data with high resolution gridded climate data. We find that the rise in temperature is associated with higher levels of stunting – even more so in rural areas. The paper's findings highlight the need for climate-friendly policies to mitigate the long-term effect of climate change on malnourishment. Without such policies, climate change could reverse years of progress in lowering children's malnutrition. • We study the effects of climate change on children's nutrition in Nigeria. • Temperature directly affects child malnutrition while precipitation has an indirect effect. • Climate change has a higher adverse effect in rural areas compared to urban areas. • Progress made to reduce malnutrition can be lost due to the effect of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper investigates the perceived and observed trends of associated health risks with seasonal climate variability and identifies types of and preference for adaptation strategies that are available at households and community levels in Oke-Ogun region, Nigeria. The study made use of household survey and rapid appraisal through focus group discussion and key informant interviews. For a short term climate–health impacts analysis, cases of notable diseases were correlated with monthly mean temperature and rainfall for the period 2006 and 2008. The findings show similar trends in relation to local perception on climate–health risks and observed cases of some notable diseases during seasonal changes. Diarrhea, measles and malaria were prevalent during dry season, while flu cases increased at the onset of harmattan and monsoon of rainy season. Available adaptation strategies are autonomous, mostly in the form of treatment measures such as consultation with medical officers in hospitals (17.5%), self-medication (34%) and use of traditional therapy such as herbs (48.5%). Traditional therapy is mostly preferred and approved based on long-term experience of the study population. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In Nigeria, there have been clashes between herdsmen and crop farmers. While a lot of people have adjudged it to be solely a religious and political affair, the reality on the ground that cannot be ignored is the fact that the fight for limited resources has led to this conflict. Countless lives, properties and source of livelihoods have been lost because of the competition for limited natural resources. A cow on average contributes between 70 and 120 kg of methane per year, and Nigeria has 20 million of them. Calling for a boycott of beef and increasing prices of beef and beef-based commodities in this part of the world, because of its contribution to climate change is unrealistic as Nigerians still struggle to meet their dietary protein requirement. It is of paramount importance that the focus of the government and all concerned stakeholders shift from just ending the conflicts in addressing the root cause and putting sustainable structures in place for a lasting solution guaranteeing food security. This paper aims to establish the need for concerted efforts towards addressing climate change in the face of geometrically increasing populations and rapidly decreasing finite resources which have induced conflict between farmers and herdsmen over limited and scarce resources. • Overgrazing has both positive and negative effects regarding carbon sequestration. • Cow produces between 70 and 120 kg of methane/year, and Nigeria has 20 million of them. • Nigeria lost 39.2% of its vegetation cover (forest and woodland) between 1990 and 2005. • Intensity of cattle grazing can have a huge impact on carbon stocks in grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grasslands are essential for life processes. They have been researched by ecologists for decades, leading to numerous theories and debates underpinning the dynamics and sustainability of these natural resources. Due to the scarcity of data/information on specific indices that could elucidate their attributes, the contribution of the 341,800.82 km2 area of savannas in Nigeria to the global scientific discourse is sparse, despite the country's rich biodiversity. Here, we describe these savannas vis-à-vis their diversity, utilization, local disturbances, scientific attentions, and knowledge gaps. We particularly review some globally researched key ecological services – such as carbon sequestration; the stabilizing effects of diversity on productivity; and characterization of microbial biomass and diversity – that could be altered by the local disturbances or trending global environmental change factors but rarely studied in Nigeria. Overall, this paper calls for a paradigm shift in grassland research in Nigeria, from production-based to production-conservation driven. This shift would bring about a sustainable grassland management and utilization techniques that promote adaptation to local or global climate change, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem resilience, and sustainable livestock production. • There is a paucity of information on key ecosystem functions in Nigerian grasslands. • Production-utilization-conservation driven ecology studies are needed in Nigeria. • Biodiversity, C sequestration and microbial studies are worthy of attention. • Global understanding of ecosystem processes needs local inputs for up-scaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]