Community perception and adaptation to climate change in Benue State, Nigeria, 2021

Abstract

Introduction: climate change is a global public health problem that has affected the health, livelihoods, food productivity, water availability, and overall security of Nigerian people. We conducted this study to assess community perception and adaptation strategies to climate change in Benue State to contribute to the burden of knowledge, policy change, and awareness programs. Methods: we used a descriptive crosssectional study with a multistage sampling technique to assess community perception and adaptation strategies to climate change among dwellers in Benue State. We collected responses from six hundred and eighty-six (686) respondents using a semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire using an Android-enabled device on Open Data Kit (ODK). We entered data into Microsoft Excel, performed descriptive and inferential statistics using IBM SPSS Statistics version 23 and determined an association between sociodemographic variables, community perception and adaptation strategies to climate change using the chi-square test. We explored the predictors of community perception and adaptation strategies to climate change using logistic regression models at a 95% confidence interval. Results: most of the respondents were females, 362 (52.8%) with a median age of 31.4 years (IQR = 20-39 years). The majority were younger age group, 15 to 24 years, and more than half, 350(51%) were married while one-third of respondents were students. About 13.4% of those employed earned between 60,000 to 120,000 naira ($146.3-$292.7) per year. Majority the majority, 98.5% of respondents, have heard of climate change, and the main source of information includes school (52.0%), television (43.1%) and radio (30.8%). Most of the respondents, 674 (98.3%), believe climate change affects men, women, and children's health. Risky behaviours contributing to climate change adaptation by respondents include smoking (32.9%), bush burning (32.9%) and tree felling (21.1%). Predictors of community perception and adaptation of climate change include the level of education (p<0.001), marital status (p=0.002), age (P<0.001) and sex (p=0.002). Conclusion: community perception of climate change was high. However, adaptation strategies towards climate change were poor. Knowledge and education were the predictors of poor adaptation strategies. Therefore, policymakers should develop effective communication strategies to increase awareness of the dangers of climate change, reduce the risks of climate change and promote better climate change adaptation.