CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT OF OIL PALM YIELD IN AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA ..........

The goal of this study is to see how vulnerable oil palm yields are to climate change in Nigeria's Akwa Ibom State. Six settlements from two Local Government Areas (Ibesikpo Asun and Etim Ekpo) known for oil palm production in the research area were sampled using a multistage sampling technique. The variations in climate in the research area were visualised using the Probability Density Function (PDF), trend analysis, and change points analysis. The researchers used two climate change forecasting scenarios (Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 and RCP 8.5) to estimate what a changing environment would mean for future oil palm yields (2020 to 2050). The findings demonstrated a steady reduction in mean annual rainfall amount in the studied area over the last 100 years. Between 2020 and 2050, the pattern of PDF, as seen in RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, shows more backward shifts in rainfall. The study also found that utilising the RCP 4.5 forecasting scenario, oil palm yields in the study area will increase from 2022 to 2050, compared to the RCP 8.5 forecasting scenario. Climate change policies to limit anthropogenic activities at the home, processing, and industrial levels, according to the report, should be developed. Again, oil palm farmers should be educated about the importance of understanding the impact of meteorological variables (humidity, rainfall temperature) on oil palm output through seminars and training. Finally, the research will aid policymakers in developing an efficient and effective strategy to ensure that the effects of climate change on oil palm output in the study area are mitigated.

Please see the link :- https://www.ikprress.org/index.php/JOGEE/article/view/6867