Potential Benefits of Climate Change for Crop Production in Ebonyi State, South-Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

The present warming of the earth-atmosphere system resulting from the continuous emission of greenhouse gases is causing changes in the other components of the system. These changes have both favourable and adverse impacts. However, the negative side of this changing climate has been given attention by researcher more than the positive side. Some regions of the world are experiencing a warmer and wetter climate which could improve agricultural production, while some others are going through a drier climate which could result in drought and its attendant consequences. This paper therefore, examines rainfall and temperature trends as indicators of climate change over Ebonyi State in South-eastern Nigeria were majority of the inhabitants are engaged in one form of agriculture or another. Data were collected from the Nigeria Meteorological Agency of Nigeria. Moving average and linear regression were employed to examine the trend in temperature and rainfall totals from 1984 to 2015. Results indicate that there are upward trends in temperature and rainfall totals in the study area. The area is warming by 0.0037℃ per annum and getting wetter at the rate of 8.9318mm per annum. With these results, farmers in Ebonyi State are likely to have more farm areas for crop cultivation as sizes of swamps increase. This is especially so for rice cultivation for which the State is very popular in Nigeria. The study therefore, recommends that due to the increasing trend of rainfall occasioned by rising temperature agriculture in the State can be enhanced to boast food security in the State and Nigeria in general.

Keywords: Climate change, Trend, Agriculture, Swamp, Rice cultivation