This study examines the long-term trends of climate variability in Central Taraba, Nigeria, with a focus on analyzing temperature and rainfall patterns from 1980 to 2020. Central Taraba has witnessed notable shifts in climate patterns, characterized by increasing temperatures, erratic rainfall, and prolonged periods of drought and excessive rainfall. These climatic changes pose significant threats to local ecosystems and rural livelihoods, which rely heavily on rain-fed agriculture and natural resources. The research highlights significant fluctuations in both rainfall and temperature, underscoring the challenges posed by climate variability to the region’s ecological and socio-economic systems. The primary objectives of this study are to examine the extent of climate variability on key ecosystem services, assess its impacts on local livelihoods, and identify sustainable management strategies to address these effects. Results show a clear upward trend in both minimum and maximum temperatures across the study area, with some towns experiencing more pronounced increases in minimum temperatures. Rainfall patterns reveal an erratic trend with periods of both drought and excessive rainfall, though a slight but statistically insignificant downward trend in rainfall was observed in most towns. These climatic shifts have profound implications for agriculture, water resources, and rural livelihoods, as communities in the region heavily depend on rain-fed farming and natural ecosystems for sustenance. The study also underscores the pressing need for adaptive strategies such as climate-resilient agriculture and improved water resource management to mitigate the adverse effects of climate variability. Recommendations emphasize strengthening community resilience and integrating climate data into regional development policies to safeguard local livelihoods and ecosystems from future climate-related risks.

Central Taraba, climate variability, ecosystem services, provisioning services & rural livelihoods.

https://doi.org/10.58396/aee020202 

[1] A. Ezra, K. Zhu, L. D. Dávid, B. N. Yakubu, and K. Ritter, “Assessing the Hydrological Impacts of Climate Change

on the Upper Benue River Basin in Nigeria: Trends, Relationships, and Mitigation Strategies,” Climate vol. 11, pp.

198, 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli11100198

[2] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

Change. Geneva: IPCC, 2021.

[3] I. Niang, O. C. Ruppel, and M. A. Abdrabo, Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 1199-1265, 2014.

[4] B. C. Bates, Z. W. Kundzewicz, S. Wu, and J. Palutikof, (Eds.). Climate Change and Water: Technical Paper of the

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Geneva, Switzerland: IPCC Secretariat, 2008.

[5] A. Ayanlade, M. Radeny, and J. F. Morton, “Comparing smallholder farmers’ perception of climate change with

meteorological data: A case study from southwestern Nigeria,” Weather and Climate Extremes, vol. 15, pp. 24-33,

2017.

[6] S. Shackleton, and C. Shackleton, The importance of non-timber forest products in rural livelihood security and as

safety nets: A review of evidence from South Africa. South African Journal of Science, vol. 100(11-12), pp. 658-

664, 2004.

[7] A. Ezra, I. K. Martins, and M. Ikusemoran, “Evaluation of Drought Pattern, Duration and Intensity in Northern

Nigeria,” Jalingo Journal of Social and Management Sciences vol. 2(3), pp. 194-211, 2020.

[8] D. Conway, et al., “Climate change and the hydrology of the Nile Basin,” Hydrological Sciences Journal, vol. 54(3),

pp. 345-365, 2009.

[9] E. D. Oruonye, and B. Abbas, The Geography of Taraba State, Nigeria. Germany: LAP Publishing Company, 2011.

[10] A. Ezra, Y. Barnabas Nuhu, A. A. Adebayo, A. A. Zemba. and A. S. Umar, “Spatio-Temporal Effects of Precipitation

Effectiveness Indices on the Yield of Some Selected Cereal Crops in Taraba State, Nigeria,” Tecnia Journal of

Management Studies vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 1-7, 2021.

[11] E. N. Chidumayo, and D. J. Gumbo, (Eds.). The Dry Forests and Woodlands of Africa: Managing for Products and

Services. UK: Earthscan, 2010.

[12] J. I. Nwafor, and S. Eze, “Assessment of the socio-economic impact of forest resources exploitation in Central

Taraba, Nigeria,” Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, vol. 8(2), 68-75, 2015.

[13] J. W. Creswell, and V. L. Plano Clark, Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research. Thousand Oaks,

California, USA: Sage Publications, 2017.

[14] A. Angelsen, P. Jagger, and R. Babigumira, “Environmental income and rural livelihoods: A global-comparative

analysis,” World Development, vol. 64, pp. S12-S28, 2014.

[15] C. Rosenzweig, J. Elliott, and D. Deryng, “Assessing agricultural risks of climate change in the 21st century in a

global gridded crop model intercomparison,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 111(9), pp.

3268-3273, 2013.