ABSTRACT

This paper examined coping and adaptation strategies employed by smallholder farmers and their efficacy in response to climate change in Zango and Kofa communities in North-Western Nigeria. Three focus group discussions with 51 participants comprising men, women, and the youth, and 15 follow-up interviews were conducted in this study to understand the influence of cultural beliefs on climate change adaptation. Results show that to adapt, farmers borrow food from neighbours to repay in good season, use early maturing crops, sell livestock and other assets, engage in other businesses. Farmers also offer prayers and sacrifices based on the belief that climate change is caused by God. Thus, offering prayer and making sacrifices were very pronounced and found to be the dominant strategies farmers adopt in both communities which could potentially lead to less adaptation action thereby indirectly exposing the vulnerable communities to additional shocks. We found that most (50% and above) of the participating farmers in both communities had no access to any formal education which could affect their adaptation decisions. We concluded that farmers’ cultural beliefs and practices such as prayer influences their adaptation behaviour and therefore adaptation designs need to address cultural influences to avoid future maladaptive responses consequently exacerbating vulnerability.

摘要

本文研究了尼日利亚西北部赞戈和科法社区小农采用的应对和适应策略及其应对气候变化的效果。本研究进行了 3 场焦点小组讨论，共有 51 名男性、女性和青少年参加，并进行了 15 次后续访谈，以了解文化信仰对气候变化适应的影响。结果表明，为了适应，农民向邻居借粮以在丰收时偿还，使用早熟作物，出售牲畜和其他资产，从事其他业务。农民们还基于气候变化是上帝造成的信念进行祈祷和献祭。因此，祈祷和做出牺牲非常明显，是农民在两个社区采取的主要策略，这可能会导致适应行动减少，从而间接使脆弱社区面临额外的冲击。我们发现，两个社区的大多数（50% 及以上）参与农民都没有机会接受任何可能影响他们适应决策的正规教育。我们的结论是，农民的文化信仰和实践（例如祈祷）会影响他们的适应行为，因此适应设计需要解决文化影响，以避免未来的适应不良反应，从而加剧脆弱性。我们发现，两个社区的大多数（50% 及以上）参与农民都没有机会接受任何可能影响他们适应决策的正规教育。我们的结论是，农民的文化信仰和实践（例如祈祷）会影响他们的适应行为，因此适应设计需要解决文化影响，以避免未来的适应不良反应，从而加剧脆弱性。我们发现，两个社区的大多数（50% 及以上）参与农民都没有机会接受任何可能影响他们适应决策的正规教育。我们的结论是，农民的文化信仰和实践（例如祈祷）会影响他们的适应行为，因此适应设计需要解决文化影响，以避免未来的适应不良反应，从而加剧脆弱性。