A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS ON PERCIEVED EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON HEALTH STATUS OF FARMING HOUSEHOLDS IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA.

Agriculture

Farmer’s health status is critical in ensuring food security for millions of households in Nigeria, and mainly across Imo State. However, their health is already in serious threat as a result of climate change impacts. Therefore, a better understanding of processes that shape farmers' health adaptation strategies to climate change is critical in identifying vulnerable entities and to develop well targeted adaptation policies. It was against this background that the study analyzed the perceived effects of climate change on health status of farming households in Rivers State Nigeria, Specifically, the study was guided by the following objectives; describing the socioeconomic characteristics of the farming households in the study area; examining the knowledge level of climate change of the farming households, identifying common health issues experienced as a result of climate change: determining the perceived effects of climate change on health status among farming households. identifying adaptation strategies used by farmers to reduce the health problems associated with climate change and identifying the farmers constraints to adaptation strategies in mitigating health effect of climate change. The study hypothesis tested that that the socio-economic characteristics of farming households do not significantly influence their various choices of health adaptation strategies. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used in selecting and interviewing 180 farming households with the aid of a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, mean score, and multinomial logit regression were used to analyze the data collected. Result shows that farmers mean age was 43.00years. Larger percentages (79.44%) were female, married (72.78%) with an average households size of 8 persons. Also, 87.22% did not have access to extension agents while 73.89% were members of cooperative. Average farm size was 1.27 hectares while most (65.56%) of the farmers had secondary education. Average monthly farm income and farming experience were N35,000.00 and 26 years respectively. Finding of mean score showed that farmers had high knowledge in planting trees (x = 2.66; 6 = 0.86), moderate knowledge on temperature and weather change (x = 2.11; 6 = 0.76) and low knowledge on use of weather forecasts (X = 1.29; 0.90) amongst others. Farmers identified diarrhea (99.44%) and heat stress (97.22%) amongst others as common health issues they experienced as a result of climate change. Also from the result, farmers perceived that the incidence of climate change has increased the heat stress (83.36; 0 0.86). malnutrition (X-3.44; -0.89) and diarrhea (83.37; 0.85). Findings confirmed the incidence of climate change in the area and had its effect on farmers health. The farmers were practicing several options such as afforestation (98.89%), depending on early warning signs (97.78%). improving drainage (96.11%) amongst others as adaptation strategies they practiced. Result further reveals that the estimated multinomial logit regression was significant and at 1% level of probability, implying that farmers socio-economic characteristics significantly influence their choice of several health adaptation strategies in the area. For instance, the coefficients of age, marital status, educational level, household size, monthly income, membership of cooperative society (X) and access to health officers positively influence farmers use of various health adaptation measures at 1% level of probability. Farmers identified inadequate adaptation fund (98.33%) and poor knowledge of health adaptation strategies to climate change (95.00%) as among the constraint they encountered in mitigating the effect of climate change on health in the area. Therefore, it was recommended that farmers should effectively utilize their cooperative strength in order to get adequate information that could help them in controlling the negative effect of climate change on their health status. Also, government effort should focus on strengthening agricultural extension service and health system so transmit modern health adaptation strategies to farmers right at their farms/homes as these would not only improve their knowledge on the practice of health adaptation options but also increase their farming activities, încome and standard of living positively over-time in the area.

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