Climate Change Awareness and Impact In Ecological Zones of Tropical Rainforest and Guinea Savannah of South-Western Nigeria

The impact of climate change on the Tropical Rainforest and Guinea Savannah vegetation zones is a global and regional concern due to their high biodiversity and role in regulating carbon, water, and nutrient cycles. Recent environmental changes are linked to rising atmospheric carbon levels caused by human activities like deforestation. Evidences of climate change have been seen across the atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere, and biosphere, indicating global warming. These changes include temperature extremes, heavy rain, floods, droughts, storms, and other climate extremes. This study assessed climate change awareness and impacts in the Rainforest and Guinea Savannah zones in southwestern Nigeria, using a mixed-method approach, to determine the level of awareness of climate change impact in the two ecological zones. Primary data were obtained through surveys and interviews of respondents A purposive sampling technique was used with Taro Yamane Formulae (TYF), to determine sample size and a sample of seventy-seven (77) respondents selected from each of the five study States: Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo. The sampling targeted participants who best represent the population with total of 371 respondents. Climate data were analyzed with GIS tools (ArcGIS Pro), and Fisher’s exact test examined hypotheses. The study revealed that awareness levels are similar across the ecological zones with 95.45%. The level of awareness is created by sources of information, education level, and culture. Climate impacts affect the environment, economy the physical, and health life of the populace. The study recommends public awareness campaigns and integrating climate change education at all levels