Food Security as a Driver of Sustainable Development: Empirical Evidence from South-West Nigeria (Published)
The study examined the interconnection of sustainable development and food security in South-West Nigeria, a geopolitical zone characterized by urban-rural disparities and environmental vulnerabilities. Based on a descriptive survey research design, 600 respondents in urban and rural areas supplied the requisite data for the study. Regression and correlation tests guided the study of the socioeconomic and environmental variables that determine household food security and the broader sustainable development results. The study findings establish that 68.5% of the households are food-insecure, and that the key reasons are the rising cost of food, inability of the household to use or own farmland, and post-harvest losses. The study found that land access, household income, education, and market closeness significantly predicted food security (R² = 0.41, p < 0.001). There were strong positive correlations of food security with sustainable development indicators, including household income (r = 0.65) and education (r = 0.58). The study findings establish the critical role of food security in sustaining sustainable development, and that policy must therefore adopt an integrated approach that ensures social and distributive justice through eradicating structural vulnerabilities in the region.
Keywords: Climate Change, Food Security, South West Nigeria, Sustainable Development, agricultural policy, capability approach
Climate-Induced Insecurities and The ECOWAS Initiatives: Implications for Regional Goals 1991-2021 (Published)
ECOWAS is a regional organization established in West Africa on May 28, 1975 with the objective of encouraging regional integration and economic cooperation to ensure mutual growth and development among member states. Since its inception, it has involved in humanitarian interventions in some of its crises-ridden member states. However, the sustenance of the success has recently met with serious challenges through the evolution of climate-induced insecurities in the region. Studies indicate that the turbulent nature of such security challenges caused by climate change seems to be overwhelming the ECOWAS. The fact is that the evolving climate-induced conflicts in West Africa largely relate to quest for survival requiring more of econometric and meteorological actions than political solutions to which the ECOWAS, apparently lacks the technical know-how to combat. It is against the backcloth of the stated problematic that this paper sets focus on climate-induced insecurities and ECOWAS initiatives by evaluating the current implications of the weather-related conflicts for West African regional cooperation and integration. Nevertheless, the main idea inherent in the evaluation tends to posit that although the regional organ faces tremendous and unprecedented challenges posed by these climatic insecurities against its original goals, reluctance on the part of the governments of the member-states to adhere to the fundamental principles of the region, further implies that there is little hopes for impactful regional cooperation, integration and development if the outlined plans are not vigorously pursued to achieve the anticipated prospects which is the only way forward. The paper adopted the qualitative and historical analytical research methods.
Citation Okpata E.C., and Ota E.N. (2023) Climate-Induced Insecurities and The Ecowas Initiatives: Implications for Regional Goals 1991-2021, International Journal of Development and Economic Sustainability, Vol.11, No.2, pp.38-54
Keywords: Climate Change, Development, Goals, fundamental, insecurities
Energy Efficient Housing as a Mitigating Option for Climate Change in Nigeria (Published)
This paper discusses the capacity of energy efficiency in housing to serve as a panacea to climate change. Drawing from secondary sources, the study revealed that energy is required in houses for optimum performance. However, in Nigeria, the energy required is mostly generated from fossil fuel which emits greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. These greenhouse gasses result in the depletion of ozone layer which causes global warming and by extension, climate change. It recommends among other things, proper landscaping, north and south orientation of houses, natural vegetation, natural lighting, the use of energy efficient electrical and mechanical appliances and the use of green power. The paper concluded that energy efficient housing environment that employs these parameters will experience reduced global warming and climate change associated challenges.
Keywords: Climate Change, Energy, Energy Efficiency, Housing, Mitigating Option, Nigeria
Occurance of Climate Change and its Effects on the Fishing Activities in the Coastal Region of Ondo State Nigeria (Published)
This paper establishes the occurrence of climate change and its effects on the day to day activities of the artisanal fisherfolks in the coastal region of Ondo State, Nigeria. The current knowledge of the artisanal fisherfolks on climate change was also assessed. Data for climate variables in the study area were got from Explore Satellite and reanalyzed. Extractions of all meteorological variables of interest were done using Linux / Ferret. This model was used to establish the fact that climate change has occurred in the coastal region of Ondo State, Nigeria. Kruskal Wallis test was also used, to assess the current knowledge of the artisanal fisherfolks on climate change. There was a noticeable cycle of annual rainfall amount but the steepness of such cycles increased beginning from 1979. Between 1902 and 1910 were years below average temperature followed by above average temperature distribution between in 2003 and 2009. This confirmed the fact that climate change has occurred in the coastal region of Ondo state, Nigeria. It was observed that the fisherfolks in the study area had various inadvertent and intentional adaptation strategies adopted for maximum fish production/catch.
Keywords: Climate Change, Effects, Fishing Activities and Coastal Region, Occurrence