Climate Change and Parasitic Shift: Strategy for the Fulani of Northern Nigeria By Shuaibu Mohammed Badamasi, A. Gambo Yusuf A. Rigasa

Outline  Background  The Fulani, who are they?  Sleeping sickness (Trypanosomiasis), what is it?  Climate change, its potential impacts on the Fulani way of life and Nigeria in general  Current and future implications  Proposed adaptation strategy  Conclusions and recommendation

Background  The Fulani are Migrant Pastoralist  Move in search of Pasture and water  Own over 90% of cows in Nigeria  Major suppliers of beef and Dairy products  Previous southward migration limited by trypanosome  Currently all over Nigeria  Climate change a catalyst of southward migration  Boundary of trypanosome endemic areas shifting  Creating safer grazing areas in the south

The Fulani, who are they?  Fulani are a group of West African migrant pastoralists  The community is growing in size and diversity  Live in a stratified society with a hierarchy of chieftaincy  Major occupation - cow herders  They are exposed to heat, rains, dust, winds, mist and dampness  Light-skinned with curly hair, pointed nose, thin lips, and slender statue

The Local Climate  Nigeria is endowed with 5 ecological zones  Extremely wet at the coast and desert-like at the Northern border  Climate determined by tropical maritime air mass originating from the Atlantic Ocean and dry tropical continental air mass originating from the Sahara desert  Aridity, as well as temperature, increases northwards  Rainfall increases southwards  The north is dominated by the savannah/ grassland

The Trypanosome  African Trypanosomiasis is a parasitic disease  Transmitted by tsetse fly  Fly inhabits humid forest  Affects cattle mainly  May Result in loss of cattle and dairy products  Parasite distribution determined by temperature and humidity  Climate change induced global warming is changing the boundaries of endemic areas

Trypanosome, the lifecycle

Climate Change Vulnerability  Poverty and Deprivation  Violence and communal conflicts  Loss of livelihood  Draught and water scarcity  Flood  Migration  Parasites and Infectious diseases

Climate Change Challenges  Changes in Fulani cattle’s range of spatial tolerance  Changes in Pastoral ecology  Change of life style  Social conflicts  Absence of mitigation and mitigation mechanisms  Increased vulnerability  Cattle production down south

The way forward – mitigation and adaptation  Controlled grazing  Diversification of Income  Integrated farming  Environmental Education  Capacity Building  Climate Forecasting

Conclusions  Climate change is real  The boundaries of Trypanosome is shifting  The Fulani are migrating southwards  There is no mitigation or adaptation strategy in place  The risks are building up

Recommendation The Inclusion of Fulani in the climate Change adaptation plans of federal, state and Local governments

Thank You For Listening