Water Resources Degradation and its Impact on the Livelihood of Komadugu Yobe Basin Communities, Yobe State, Nigeria

This study examined water resource degradation and its effects on the livelihood of Komadugu Yobe Basin communities. The study used an interview schedule to collect data. Nguru, Bade, Bursari, and Gaidam Local Government Area were purposively selected to form the sampling frame. 5% of each household in the four selected communities formed the sample size. Data were analyzed using frequency distribution tables and bar charts. Findings show that population increase, upstream dam construction, livestock overgrazing, and intensive agricultural activities are key factors responsible for the degradation. The findings also revealed that a decline in surface water and Rainfall has resulted in declining livelihood activities due to low crop yield; hence, food insecurity at the community level, with over 75% of the households becoming food insecure due to poor harvest. The study further revealed that farmers had adopted several coping strategies, such as animal asset selling, loans, remittances, and off-farm labour, to complement family income and needs. It is recommended that the Monitoring of water should be included in the Strategic Action Plan of the basin, and educational campaigns and awareness creation should be intensified among different resource users to raise awareness of the economic implications of water resource degradation in the area. Extension workers should be deployed to sensitize and create awareness of the communities to adopt and use modern techniques for improved agriculture production. The government should provide non or low-interest credit facilities for farmers to expand their farmlands for mass food production for the teaming population; it should also provide farmers with short-season and drought resistant crops to improve crop yield for food sufficiency. The government should improve the livelihood security of the basin community through the planning of production, rural programs, and income generation; the government should also develop and provide better infrastructures for both livestock keepers and farmers within the basin wetlands area. Livelihood support and alternative employment should be created to reduce pressure on the water resources as well as to sustain economic and ecological services offered by the basin resources.