PERCEPTION OF RESIDENTS ON THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON WATER RESOURCES IN KADUNA NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

Abstract

This study examined public perception of the impacts of climate change on water resources and explored adaptation strategies to mitigate it. Data was obtained using a structured questionnaire randomly administered to 384 respondents. The questionnaire was analyzed using descriptive and Chi-square statistics. The results revealed that 62.4% were males, 37.7% were females, and 73.3% were below 40 years old; 65.6% were married, 28.7% were not married, and divorced and widowed were 3.5% and 2.2% respectively. For education, 80.5% of the respondents are educated up to the level of tertiary institutions, while 19.5% are educated up to the level of secondary school. For the awareness of climate change, 45% are moderately aware, 17.1% have low awareness, 13.8% have very low awareness, and 18.2% and 6.0% have high and very high awareness. With a Chi-square statistic (χ²) of 83.85, and a p-value <0.05, the study revealed that education significantly influences climate change awareness. For the adaptive strategies, 89.4% said there were no community initiatives, and 10.6% disagreed. For mitigation, 32.8% said there is a need for new water conservation measures, 27.6% said there is a need for community engagements, 26.3% believe there is a need for improvement of water-related infrastructure, and 13.3% indicated a need for changes in government policy to address climate change. The study concluded there was moderate awareness of climate change among the general public, which strongly correlates to individuals’ level of education. The study therefore recommended adequate water conservation measures to cope with the declining water resources.