POPULATION GROWTH AND URBANIZATION: THE DEMOGRAPHIC INFLUENCERS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND CHALLENGES TO FISHING IN THE COASTAL AREAS OF TARABA STATE

Climate change as an undeniable global challenge is intricately connected to human activities, with population growth and urbanization emerging as significant contributors to this intricate phenomenon. Nigeria, being the most populous country in Africa, has witnessed substantial population growth and swift urbanization in recent years. While these trends signal societal progress, rising temperatures which drives flooding become inherent challenge, directly affecting fishing business in the riverine areas. Objective of the study is premised on how population growth and urbanization influence rise of carbon footprint and temperatures as they affect fishing trade. The study adopted a cross sectional survey design, Taro Yamane’s formula was used to generate 400 sample from the total population of 581,000. Two-Way ANOVA was adopted as the statistical tool to test the study’s hypothesis. The study revealed that population growth and urbanization have significant influence on higher rise of carbon footprint and temperatures that leads to flooding. As temperatures increase, the window of time when fish are in good condition and abundant enough to harvest is reduced. This leads to a decrease in revenue for fishers and a corresponding reduction in the local economy in Taraba State. The study recommends that there should be promotion of sustainable fishing practices that take into account the effects of temperature rise and population growth. This could involve setting quotas for fish catch, establishing no-take zones to allow fish population to recover, and creating incentives for fishers to adopt sustainable methods.