GENDER AND SOCIAL VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT OF FOREST-BASED COMMUNITIES TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND VARIABILITY IN SOUTHWEST NIGERIA

Globally, climate variability and change has been characterized as a phenomenon impinge negatively upon different rural livelihoods within forest based communities in complex ways, Nigeria rural people are not exempted. Concern is emerging such that the negotiations on climate change do not fully involve the affected groups yet each of these groups is impacted by climate change in different ways. The gender vulnerability analysis to the effects of climate change and variability in forest-based communities of Southwest Nigeria was studied. Gender based vulnerability of six different social groups were assessed. A total of 306 structured questionnaires were prepared and randomly administered. Data were later collected through observations, semi-structured questionnaires and focus group discussions (FGD). Six categories of social groups based on socio-economic indicators such as literacy level, awareness on climate change, dependency on forest resources, decision making and governance, climate and non- climate dependent occupation, diversification of occupation in ten purposively selected forest-based communities were assessed using a “Three Categorized Ranking Methods” (TCR); (1=Low, 2=Moderate, 3=High). Analysis was based on descriptive statistics generated from Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The study findings showed that the impacts of climate change were unequally felt along the gender lines and that women and more so the elderly were the most vulnerable groups impacted by the effects of climate change due to the community’s culturally gender constructed roles and responsibilities, followed by the elderly men and the youth who were the least affected.FGD discussion also revealed low awareness, inability to interpret basic concept of climate change, inadequate climate change information, unequal access, uses and right to resources, and insincerity of three tiers of governments on climate change among others the militating factors against holistic approach in tackling climate change. Farm produce processing and off-farm jobs are the major response and adaptation process of the vulnerable groups. 

Therefore, local participation and decision making, education, sensitization and capacity building programmes for the vulnerable groups could be an integral part of all the efforts in combating negative impacts of climate change, develop effective adaptive capacity and managed forest resources sustainably.