Environmental Flooding on Agricultural Activities in Gwer-East Local Government Area, Benue State, Nigeria.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16925501Keywords:
Agriculture Activities, Benue State, Effects, Environmental Flooding, Gwer-EastAbstract
This study examines environmental flooding on agricultural activities in the Gwer-East Local Government Area, Benue State, Nigeria. The research focused on the causes and the effects of flooding on agricultural activities (food crop production and livestock rearing). The study adopted questionnaires, observation, and interviews to obtain primary data. Literature was thoroughly reviewed to obtain fundamental information, and descriptive statistics were employed to analyse and interpret the data sets. The Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between agricultural production and flooding events (P-value = 0.043), negatively impacting agriculture. Flooding events decreased crop yield, while farmers achieved higher harvests outside flood years. The severity of flood impacts on the environment was extreme. Notable food crops cultivated include rice, maize, cassava, and groundnut, while common animals include poultry, pigs, cattle, and goats. The study recommends proper drainage, public education on flood hazards, river channel dredging, prohibition of farming along waterways, and construction of more dams to mitigate flooding effects on agricultural activities.
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