Climate Responsive Strategies for Flood Risk Mitigation Among Fish Farmers in Some Coastal Area of Rivers State, Nigeria

This study examined climate responsive strategies for flood risk mitigation among fish farmers in some communities in the coastal areas of Rivers State, Nigeria. Primary data were collected from 120 fish farmers in these areas using structured questionnaires administered through face-to-face interviews. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis were employed to analyze the data. The results revealed that fish farming in the study area is dominated by economically active individuals, with the majority aged between 31 and 50 years. Male farmers constituted 65%, while most respondents (70.8%) were married and had at least secondary education. A significant proportion (60%) had over 10 years of farming experience, indicating a relatively experienced farming population. Awareness of climate change was high (88.3%), with major sources of information being fellow farmers and radio. Respondents perceived irregular rainfall (82.5%), increased flooding (78.3%), rising temperatures (75.0%), and water quality changes (69.2%) as major indicators of climate change. Flooding had severe impacts on aquaculture, including loss of fish stock (85.8%), infrastructure damage (80.0%), reduced income (77.5%), and increased disease incidence (72.5%). In response, farmers adopted several mitigation strategies such as elevated ponds (76.7%), dyke reinforcement (70.8%), improved drainage (68.3%), and early harvesting (65.0%). Most of these strategies were perceived as effective, particularly elevated ponds (72.5%). However, constraints such as lack of finance (83.3%), inadequate technical knowledge (70.0%), and poor government support (68.3%) limited adaptation efforts. Chi-square analysis showed that education level and farming experience significantly influenced adaptation, while gender had no significant effect. The majority of farmers (58.3%) exhibited a high level of adaptation. The study concludes that although fish farmers demonstrated considerable resilience, targeted interventions in finance, extension services, and policy support are essential to enhance climate adaptation and ensure sustainable aquaculture development.