Research teams from the University of Lagos, Lead City University, and the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) have appealed to the Kwara State government to improve the adaptation and resilience of rural communities to climate change. The experts were part of the collaborative research project code-named PALM-TREEs, which focused on climate extremes and interventions for marginalized groups in rural Kwara.
Key Findings from the PALM-TREEs Project
The three-year project, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Canadian International Development Research Centre, examined drought and flood in eight local government areas: Asa, Moro, Ifelodun, Oyun, Edu, Patigi, Kaiama, and Baruten. According to project lead Professor Mayowa Fasona, rural communities face multiple climate-driven extremes including flooding, extreme heat, low rainfall, soil infertility, land degradation, pest activity, and water scarcity.
The report highlights that drought is considered the most critical climate extreme affecting rural residents. Physical drought indices show an increasing trend in agricultural drought from 1981 to 2022, with about 40% of the state experiencing high to very high drought risk. This has led to severe prolonged water deficits, causing critical declines in soil moisture, water resources, and ecosystem stability.
Impact on Livelihoods and Food Security
Eighty-three percent of research participants reported crop damage, 63% experienced livestock losses, and 57.4% lacked access to safe drinking water. Historical flood reconstruction using satellite images reveals that the Niger River's annual flow regime drives flooding, with September and October being the most disastrous periods. Out-of-season floods are also occurring due to upstream dam releases.
At least 37% of participants worry about their livelihoods due to flooding, and 30% have experienced property damage. Food insecurity due to weather and conflicts, along with high food costs, is a serious issue. Over 54% believe their household income is unstable, and 56.4% have never received government support.
Vulnerability and Institutional Gaps
Poor development of rural institutions such as farmers' organizations, cooperatives, and microfinance institutions increases vulnerability to climate impacts. Many participants do not belong to any rural organizations: 58.4% are not in cooperative groups, 66.2% lack access to microfinance, and only 48% have access to social networks. Additionally, 65% have never attended livelihood training, 55% cannot prepare in advance, 66% feel government response is insufficient, and 60% believe they are not receiving government support for climate adaptation.
Empowerment Interventions
The PALM-TREEs project empowered nine women's groups across nine communities with water infrastructure, including solar-powered boreholes, water pumps, surface wells, storage tanks, and watering cans. Ten men's groups received simple garden tools and 4,400 climate-resilient local economic tree species such as cashew, shea butter, and locust bean for agroforestry. Transformative sessions on nutrition improvement, post-harvest food waste reduction, and organic fertilizer production were also conducted.
Over 3,500 rural people have been impacted by these interventions. The project increased awareness of climate change impacts, enhanced adaptive capacity, improved community empowerment, access to water, sustainable land management, extension services, knowledge co-creation, gender-sensitive planning, and mainstreamed local solutions.
Call to Government
During the validation workshop, project participants, beneficiary communities, and stakeholders expressed appreciation for the PALM-TREEs efforts. They appealed to the Kwara State government to adopt the project's key findings to improve rural communities' adaptation and resilience to climate change.
