Author(s) :

GODWIN Akobi Ekawu Amama.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

This study investigated the impact of climate-induced flooding on food security outcomes among smallholder vegetable farmers in Kaduna South Local Government Area (LGA), Kaduna State. Utilizing a descriptive survey research design, the study employed a multi-stage sampling technique to select 350 vegetable farmers across five flood-prone wards: Barnawa, Makera, Kakuri, Tudun Wada, and Sabon Gari. Data collection was executed using structured questionnaires based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) alongside Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) covering the 2022–2025 flood cycles. Empirical analysis revealed that recurrent flooding severely destabilized all five pillars of food security. Local food availability collapsed due to the physical destruction of 75% of high-value horticultural farmlands. Market accessibility was severed by the submergence of critical rural-to-urban transit routes, isolating harvests at the farm gate. Affordability was heavily compromised as supply shocks triggered localized post-flood vegetable price spikes of over 40%. Systemic rainfall unpredictability destroyed agricultural stability, dismantling traditional planting schedules. Furthermore, nutritional utilization was degraded by widespread flood-induced biological contamination of open wells, sparking surges in waterborne pathogens. The study concludes that hydro-climatic flooding drives chronic, structural food insecurity rather than short-term transitory deficits. It recommends that the Kaduna State Government enforce urban zoning reforms, integrate spatial-hydrological planning, and introduce weather-indexed micro-insurance schemes alongside early-maturing, flood-tolerant cultivars to build long-term agrarian resilience. Keywords: Climate Change, Flooding, Food Security, Vegetable Farmers, Kaduna South.

No. of Downloads :

0