Determining farmer attitudes and behaviors toward climate change in Niger and developing adaptation policies: Case study of ouallam district

The purpose of this dissertation is to determine farmers' attitudes and behaviors toward climate change in Niger and develop policy proposals for climate change adaptation. To achieve this purpose, a survey was conducted using the KoBoCollect software in which data was collected. This approach is specifically aimed at minimizing errors in the survey area and improving the quality of data. The surveys were carried out face-to-face with 130 farmers in different villages connected to Tondikiwidi and Simiri districts, located in the Ouallam province, a region that is at high risk of climate change. The surveys and field studies took place in the last quarter of 2021. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, ratio, and arithmetic mean were used in this study to assess farmers' knowledge about climate change, adaptation practices, and mitigation efforts. The Likert scale was utilized to determine the statistical significance using the Chi-Square test. Logistic regression models were used to find the factors that influence the attitudes and behaviors of farmers in the context of climate change. Based on the study findings, it was observed that most farmers (64,1%) had received no formal education, with an average education period of 2.4 years. Additionally, the results indicated that nearly all farmers lacked awareness about climate change. The study revealed that climate change has led to a decrease in millet yields of 46.39% and 25.53% in processed agricultural lands and cultivated crops respectively over the past ten years. Furthermore, it was observed that both farmers, governmental, and non-governmental organizations were actively involved in combating the escalating negative effects of climate change. Despite the efforts made, farmers believe that these measures are insufficient. As a result, the farmers demand more effective climate change adaptation policies and strategies to mitigate the negative effects of climate change.