Climate Change Perceptions and Adaptation Practices Among Indigenous Aquaculture Practitioners in Southwestern Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51459/jostir.2026.2.Special-Issue-1.0289Keywords:
Climate change, Perception, Adaptation strategies, Indigenous aquaculture, NigeriaAbstract
Climate change poses significant threats to fisheries and aquaculture systems, particularly in developing regions where livelihoods depend heavily on climate-sensitive resources. This study examined perceptions of climate change and adaptation strategies among indigenous aquaculture practitioners in Southwestern Nigeria. A combination of purposive and snowball sampling techniques was used to select 200 respondents from major fishing communities in Ondo and Oyo States. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis, and logistic regression models. The results revealed a high level of awareness of climate variability among respondents, with irregular rainfall (mean = 3.62), increased temperature (mean = 3.55), and flooding identified as key indicators of climate change. Major impacts reported included increased fish mortality, reduced growth performance, and damage to pond infrastructure. Adaptation strategies were largely autonomous, with water management practices (71%) and pond reinforcement (64%) being the most widely adopted measures. The study further found significant gender differences in access to credit, cooperative participation, and water management practices (p < 0.05). Logistic regression results indicated that education level, farming experience, access to credit, and cooperative membership significantly influenced adaptation decisions. The findings highlight that adaptive capacity is shaped not only by environmental factors but also by socio-economic conditions. Strengthening institutional support, improving access to finance, and promoting gender-responsive policies are essential for enhancing resilience in fisheries and aquaculture systems under climate change.
References
Abaje, I. B., Ati, O. F., and Iguisi, E. O. (2014). Climate variability and change: Impacts and adaptation strategies in Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area of Katsina State, Nigeria. Journal of Geography and Geology, 6(2), 103–112. https://doi.org/10.5539/jgg.v6n2p103
Adegbite, O. O., Ayinde, O. E., and Daramola, F. O. (2020). Economic analysis of fish farming enterprises in Southwest Nigeria. Aquaculture Studies, 20(2), 101–110. https://doi.org/10.4194/2618-6381-v20_2_05
Adeleke, M.L., and Luetz, J.M. (2023). Indigenous Knowledge of Artisanal Fisherfolks on Climate Change Adaptation in Ondo State, Nigeria; In: W. Leal Filho, M. Kovaleva, F. Alves, I.R. Abubakar (Eds.). Climate Change Strategies: Handling the Challenges of Adapting to a Changing Climate (Climate Change Management) (Ch. 23; pp. 475–502). Springer Nature.
Apraku, A., Mortensen, A. Ø., and Andersson, J. A. (2021). Indigenous knowledge and climate change adaptation in African farming systems. Climate and Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2021.1881192
Berkes, F. (2012). Sacred ecology (3rd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203123843
Berkes, F., Colding, J., and Folke, C. (2000). Rediscovery of traditional ecological knowledge as adaptive management. Ecological Applications, 10(5), 1251–1262. https://doi.org/10.1890/1051-0761(2000)010[1251:ROTEKA]2.0.CO;2
Donkor, F. K., and Mearns, K. F. (2023). Is indigenous knowledge serving climate adaptation? Evidence from various African regions. Development Policy Review, 41(2), e12664. https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.12664
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2022). The state of world fisheries and aquaculture 2022. FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc0461en
Ford, J. D., Cameron, L., Rubis, J., Maillet, M., Nakashima, D., Willox, A. C., and Pearce, T. (2024). Including indigenous knowledge and experience in IPCC assessment reports. Nature Climate Change, 14(1), 16–23. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01866-6
Granderson, A. A. (2017). The role of traditional knowledge in building adaptive capacity for climate change. Climatic Change, 140(2), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-016-1839-9
Harper, S., Zeller, D., Hauzer, M., Pauly, D., and Sumaila, U. R. (2020). Women and fisheries: Contribution to food security and local economies. Marine Policy, 39, 56–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2013.10.018
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2021). Climate change 2021: The physical science basis. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009157896
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2023). Climate change 2023: Synthesis report. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/
Ishaya, S., and Abaje, I. B. (2008). Indigenous people’s perception of climate change and adaptation strategies in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. Journal of Geography and Regional Planning, 1(8), 138–143. https://academicjournals.org/journal/JGRP
Kiambi, Sarah N., Garba, Alhaji A., & Yusuf, Halima M. (2024). Towards enhanced climate change adaptation: Using traditional ecological knowledge to understand the environmental effects of urban growth in Abuja, Nigeria. Environment, Development and Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-024-03784-5
Kruijssen, F., McDougall, C., and van Asseldonk, I. (2022). Gender and fisheries: A review of the evidence. World Development. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.03.007
Nigerian Meteorological Agency. (2022). Annual climate review: Rainfall and temperature trends in Nigeria. https://nimet.gov.ng
Obayelu, A. E., Adepoju, A. O., and Idowu, T. (2023). Smallholder farmers’ climate-smart adaptation practices in Nigeria: Implications for policy. Climate and Development, 15(4), 315–329. https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2022.2050938
Odjugo, P. A. O. (2010). General overview of climate change impacts in Nigeria. Journal of Human Ecology, 29(1), 47–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/09709274.2010.11906283
Olaniyan, B. S., and Govender, N. (2023). Responding to climate change: Indigenous knowledge lessons from Nigerian root and tuber farmers. SAGE Open, 13(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231164012
Rahma Isaack Adam, Lucy G. Njogu, Kevin Okoth Ouko, Surendran Rajaratnam, Lydia Adeleke, Lydia Ogunya, Elizabeth Ihiechi Akuwa, Cathy Razel Farnworth, Bernadette Fregene, 2025: Unveiling gender dynamics and disparities in the aquaculture value chain: evidence from Ogun and Delta States, Nigeria. Aquaculture International (2025) https://doi.org/10.1007/s10499-025-01966-1Springer
UNESCO. (2021). Local and indigenous knowledge systems (LINKS): Climate change adaptation and resilience. https://en.unesco.org/links
World Meteorological Organization. (2023). State of the global climate 2023. https://public.wmo.int/en/resources/library/state-of-global-climate
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Science, Technology and Innovation Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.