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Comparative Assessment of Crop Farmer?s Vulnerability to Climate Change in Delta State, Nigeria
Subject area: Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences · Area of research: Climate Change
Abstract
Nigeria?s agricultural sector, which supports a large proportion of the population, is highly susceptible to climate extremes, particularly in the Niger Delta region. This study provides a comparative analysis of crop farmers? vulnerability to climate change in Delta State?s two major agro ecological zones: the mangrove swamp and freshwater swamp. A cross-sectional survey was conducted, and weighted mean scoring was applied to standardized indicators of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Using the IPCC vulnerability framework (VI = Exposure + Sensitivity ? Adaptive Capacity), zone-specific indices were computed. In the mangrove zone, Exposure = 0.592, Sensitivity = 0.522, Adaptive Capacity = 0.212, yielding a Vulnerability Index (VI) of 0.902. In the freshwater zone, Exposure = 0.533, Sensitivity = 0.577, Adaptive Capacity = 0.328, yielding a VI of 0.782. These results indicate that while both zones are highly vulnerable, the mangrove zone faces greater risk due to higher exposure and markedly lower adaptive capacity. The findings underscore the importance of ecological differentiation in vulnerability assessments and highlight the inadequacy of generalized regional approaches. By providing empirical evidence of spatial variations in vulnerability, this study offers critical insights for targeted adaptation strategies and policy planning. Specifically, improving adaptive capacity in the mangrove zone is essential for safeguarding livelihoods and strengthening resilience in Delta State?s coastal farming communities.
Keywords
Climate Change, Vulnerability Index, Exposure, Sensitivity, Adaptive Capacity, Mangrove Swamp, Freshwater Swamp, Delta State
How to cite this paper
@article{1710185,
author = {Ede Tiekuro, Omonigho Goodluck Mamuro},
title = {Comparative Assessment of Crop Farmer?s Vulnerability to Climate Change in Delta State, Nigeria},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2025},
volume = {9},
number = {2},
pages = {1265-1278},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1710185.pdf},
abstract = {Nigeria?s agricultural sector, which supports a large proportion of the population, is highly susceptible to climate extremes, particularly in the Niger Delta region. This study provides a comparative analysis of crop farmers? vulnerability to climate change in Delta State?s two major agro ecological zones: the mangrove swamp and freshwater swamp. A cross-sectional survey was conducted, and weighted mean scoring was applied to standardized indicators of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Using the IPCC vulnerability framework (VI = Exposure + Sensitivity ? Adaptive Capacity), zone-specific indices were computed. In the mangrove zone, Exposure = 0.592, Sensitivity = 0.522, Adaptive Capacity = 0.212, yielding a Vulnerability Index (VI) of 0.902. In the freshwater zone, Exposure = 0.533, Sensitivity = 0.577, Adaptive Capacity = 0.328, yielding a VI of 0.782. These results indicate that while both zones are highly vulnerable, the mangrove zone faces greater risk due to higher exposure and markedly lower adaptive capacity. The findings underscore the importance of ecological differentiation in vulnerability assessments and highlight the inadequacy of generalized regional approaches. By providing empirical evidence of spatial variations in vulnerability, this study offers critical insights for targeted adaptation strategies and policy planning. Specifically, improving adaptive capacity in the mangrove zone is essential for safeguarding livelihoods and strengthening resilience in Delta State?s coastal farming communities.},
keywords = {Climate Change, Vulnerability Index, Exposure, Sensitivity, Adaptive Capacity, Mangrove Swamp, Freshwater Swamp, Delta State},
month = {August},
}