Research Article
Assessing the Impact of Climate Change on Selected Earth Processes in Osun State, Nigeria: Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 4, August 2026
Pages:
130-153
Received:
24 May 2026
Accepted:
3 June 2026
Published:
11 July 2026
Abstract: Climate change poses significant threats to the environment, human health, and socioeconomic development. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall patterns, flooding, and soil degradation have far-reaching consequences for overall livelihoods. Effective mitigation and adaptation strategies are essential to prioritize environmental sustainability and socioeconomic development. This study assessed the effects of climate change on selected earth processes (precipitation, temperature, wind speed, relative humidity) that affect atmospheric and land surface conditions in Osun State, Nigeria, with a view to developing targeted mitigation strategies. The objectives include examining trends in carbon stock and land use, analyzing the dynamics of land use and land cover changes, identifying areas of vulnerability, and developing a framework for integrating mitigation and adaptation strategies. The study used datasets from MERRA-2, the United Nations World Conservation Monitoring Centre, and Landsat imagery to assess the impacts of climate change on processes that affect atmospheric and land conditions. Results show a gradual warming trend, with mean monthly temperatures fluctuating between 24.4°C and 25.34°C, and increasing climate variability. The study also found significant declines in vegetation cover, from 77.5% in 2003 to 56.16% in 2023, correlating with increased cropland area and urbanization. The loss of vegetation has direct implications for carbon stock, with biomass reduction diminishing the landscape's ability to store carbon. The analysis also revealed substantial changes in land use patterns, including a significant reduction in vegetation due to urban sprawl and agricultural expansion. The study identifies areas experiencing the greatest loss in vegetation and carbon stock as most vulnerable to climate change impacts. A framework for mitigation and adaptation is proposed, including integrated strategies for sustainability. The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers, stakeholders, and communities to develop and implement sustainable practices that balance development with environmental sustainability.
Abstract: Climate change poses significant threats to the environment, human health, and socioeconomic development. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall patterns, flooding, and soil degradation have far-reaching consequences for overall livelihoods. Effective mitigation and adaptation strategies are essential to prioritize environmental sustainability and s...
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Research Article
Community-Based Monitoring for Customary Territory Defence and Multispecies Eco-Justice: A Case Study of the Enggano Indigenous People, Bengkulu
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 4, August 2026
Pages:
154-159
Received:
15 June 2026
Accepted:
25 June 2026
Published:
27 August 2026
Abstract: Enggano Island holds high endemic biodiversity, yet pressure on its forests keeps rising. This article examines the community-based monitoring (CBM) carried out by the Enggano indigenous people together with the Enggano Monitoring Team in February and March 2025. The monitoring covered Protection Forest and Limited Production Forest areas of roughly 125 ha spread across six grids. The methods combined ground checks, line transects, bird point counts, feed-plant inventories, resident interviews, and satellite imagery and geographic information system (GIS) analysis through the QField application. The team recorded 43 animal signs, several direct encounters with endemic species such as the Enggano myna and the Enggano imperial pigeon, and a clear dominance of wildlife feed plants and other useful plants. The 2024 land cover data show that forest still covers 55.97 percent of the island. These findings position CBM not merely as a tool for collecting ecological data, but as an instrument for defending customary territory, a means of restoring the relationship between residents and their forest, and a way of preparing a local discourse on multispecies eco-justice. The authors argue that resident-generated data strengthen the bargaining position of the indigenous people in the customary forest recognition process that followed Constitutional Court Decision No. 35/PUU-X/2012, while also building an evidentiary basis for treating nonhuman beings as holders of justice claims.
Abstract: Enggano Island holds high endemic biodiversity, yet pressure on its forests keeps rising. This article examines the community-based monitoring (CBM) carried out by the Enggano indigenous people together with the Enggano Monitoring Team in February and March 2025. The monitoring covered Protection Forest and Limited Production Forest areas of roughl...
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Seyi Festus Olatoyinbo
