Ecological Impact of Climate Change in Oyo State: An Exploratory Inquiry

Climate change is happening on a global scale but the ecological impact is often local and vary from place to place. A comprehensive account of ecological impact of climate change in Oyo State from the perspective of experts is missing in previous studies. Therefore, in this study for an in depth understanding of what the ecological impacts are in Oyo State and how to create enabling environment for the adaptation and mitigation, structured interviews with three (3) experts were conducted. 137 interview guides were administered on the experts to elicit information on the practical evidence of ecological impact of climate change, the drivers and adaptation and mitigation strategies in Oyo State. The study adopted descriptive statistics: mean, standard deviation, and relative importance index (RII) in a 4-point Likert scale to analyze the data. The study from the analysis revealed from the listed options the practical evidence of ecological impact of climate change in various parts of Oyo State, the drivers and adaption and migration strategies adopted which enhance knowledge sharing between the experts, the policy makers and the individuals. It is hereby recommended that the transition to a low – carbon economy through investment in green building, sustainable agriculture and renewable energies are necessary in Nigeria in general and Oyo State in particular. The need to reduce its reliance on the Climate sensitive sectors and investment in resilience infrastructure particularly for water management, Agricultural practitioners and farmer should be encouraged to adopt best practice that will reduce ozone layers depletion and global warming and encourage Afforestation and agro forestry systems.