Impact of Climate Change and Mitigation Measures: The Case of Gully Erosion in South Eastern Nigeria

The issue of gully erosion is of major concern in the South-eastern part of Nigeria. The vegetation in the area is steadily being degraded thereby exposing the soil to erosion, especially the gully type. This feature is not only increasing in occurrence but also in magnitude. Large areas of agricultural lands are lost or have become unsuitable for cultivation due to gully erosion. There have been numerous attempts to curb gully erosion in the region; especially through large-scale engineering projects, however, little has been discussed about ways to prevent their onset or the use of community-based low-technology approaches to mitigate their development. The possibility of climate change playing a role in this has not been given the deserved attention. This paper therefore examined the extent the climate of Southeastern Nigeria is changing and its implication in soil erosion occurrence and magnitude. The method adopted was observation of some gully erosion sites in the area, interview with key stakeholders and review of relevant literature. Findings showed that there has been an upward trend in annual mean temperature and rainfall in the area. It also revealed that many eroding gullies in the region are human induced and therefore can be prevented. The gullies can be traced to poor land management practices and to a lack of innovation and awareness measures. It was concluded that community-based, low technology land management practices and public awareness programs through workshops as well as concerted efforts by governments at all levels could halt the development of many gullies in the South Eastern region of Nigeria.