The Use of Traditional Adaptation Measures Against Climate Variability among Pastoralists in Katsina State, Nigeria

Abstract

Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate change owing to its low adaptive capacity and high dependence on
climate-sensitive resources such as water resources and ecological systems. This has led to myriads of
environmental challenges. However, most rural communities have developed various technical solutions and
institutional mechanisms to deal with these environmental constraints. This study therefore assessed the
indigenous coping strategies employed by pastoralists inresponse to adverse effects of climate change in Katsina
State. A sampleof 367 pastoralists was selected for the study.Structured interview and Focus Group Discussion
(FGD) were employed for data collection. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chisquare. Results indicated that a significant proportion (65%) of the respondents adopted various strategies to
combat adverse effect of climate change. In addition, the constraints to the effective use of indigenous coping
strategies against climate change were identified to be: poverty, poor access to information on climate change,
low level of education, land tenure system and inadequate physical and social infrastructure in the rural areas
among others. The study concludes that traditional and institutional knowledge accumulated and maintained
through practice over countless generations, offers valuable insights into the state of the environment.
Consequently, a synergy is needed between local institutions, national and international frameworks for the
successful adaptation to climate change.