Climate Change and Food Security in Ikeduru Local Government Area Imo State, Nigeria: The Way Forward

This work examined the impact of climate change on food security in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State. Agriculture is one sector that is affected by changes in climatic variables. Rainfall and temperature data was collected from Nigeria meteorological Agency. The primary data was collected through the use of questionnaire. Different statistical tools were used to analyze the different data retrieved. Analysis of variance was employed to investigate the impact of rainfall and temperature on crop yield within the past ten (10) years. Result showed that change in temperature and rainfall pattern affects food production and security significantly in the study area within the period under study. The result also indicated that the mitigation measures adopted by the people have not reduced the impact of climate change in the study area. Crops greatly affected include cassava, yam and maize. Based on the findings the paper recommends the use of drought resistant crops, construction of dams & water reservoir to supply water when the need arises. It also recommends that farmers should not depend on the first rain for early planting but allow rain to be more consistent before planting etc