The contribution of artisanal fishers to the food protein supply of a nation cannot be over-emphasized. Hence the fisher folks who are involved in these fishing activities are very important groups of people and the improvement of their livelihood is very pertinent when it comes to assuring food security as well as alleviating poverty in the nation. Despite the importance of these fishermen, artisanal fishers on the Nigerian coast are among socially disadvantaged groups in the country due to the remoteness of their habitations and there is limited documentation on their demographic characteristics, effects of climate change on livelihood and means of adaptation and mitigation.
The objectives of the study are to identify vulnerabilities of fishers to climate change, examine adaptation strategies and to assess the impact of climate change on the livelihoods of fishers in coastal communities of Lagos State, Nigeria. The target population for the study would comprise fishers in the coastal fishing communities. A two-stage stratified sampling technique would be used to select fishers for the study. Five percent of the fishers would be selected based on the list of registered fishermen. The primary data to be used for the study would be collected through questionnaires, observations and focus group discussions. The data collected would be analyzed using descriptive statistics, thematic analysis and multiple regression statistics.
Expected Outcome/ Impact
The study would help to assess the effects of climate change on the activities of fishers and identify possible adaptation strategies that would enable them to cope with climate variability as well as improving their livelihoods thereby enhancing food security.