Public Health Training

🌍 2-Day Workshop on Climate Change in Nigeria

Exploring Climate Impacts on Nigeria’s Natural Systems, Economy, and Society
Powered by ArcGIS Online · Google Earth Engine · Open Data

🔎 Workshop Overview

This two-day national workshop brings together policymakers, scientists, and stakeholders to assess the impact of climate change on Nigeria’s natural ecosystems, economy, and society. Participants will engage with interactive maps, dashboards, and satellite-based applications using platforms such as ArcGIS Online, Google Earth Engine, and other open-source tools.

Designed specifically for Nigerian parliamentarians and planning authorities, this workshop aims to support data-driven policies and actionable solutions.

📅 Day 1: Climate Science & Natural Systems

Explore Nigeria’s environmental changes through live discussions and map-based analyses focused on climate patterns, biodiversity, and ecosystem stressors.

  • 🗣️ Keynote Address: Understanding Nigeria’s Climate Trajectory (Livestream link to be added)
  • 📖 StoryMap: Nigeria’s Climate Trends (1901–2024)
  • 🗺️ Interactive Web Maps:
    • 🌲 Forest Loss & Deforestation Hotspots (ArcGIS)
    • ☀️ Rainfall & Temperature Anomalies (Google Earth Engine)
    • 🌊 Coastal Erosion & Sea-Level Rise Risk Zones

🌡️ CHELSA Bioclimatic Variables & Agricultural Relevance in Nigeria

CHELSA Bioclimatic variables (BIO1–BIO19) translate monthly temperature and precipitation into ecologically meaningful indices. They are indispensable for crop-suitability mapping, phenology studies, and climate-risk assessments across Nigeria’s diverse agro-ecological zones.

📘 Variable Descriptions & Agricultural Importance

  • BIO1 – Annual Mean Temperature: Influences crop growth duration. Higher southern values (25–27 °C) support multi-cropping of cassava and oil-palm.
  • BIO2 – Mean Diurnal Range: Large day–night swings (≥15 °C) in the Sahel stress seedlings of tomato and pepper during February–April.
  • BIO3 – Isothermality: Stability favours perennial cocoa in the Rainforest zone (March–November rainy season).
  • BIO4 – Temperature Seasonality: High seasonality (north) raises risk for rain-fed maize sown in June–July.
  • BIO5 – Max Temperature of Warmest Month: April/May peaks (>40 °C) hamper sorghum grain-filling in Sudan Savanna.
  • BIO6 – Min Temperature of Coldest Month: December–January lows (<15 °C) enable potato in Jos Plateau highlands.
  • BIO7 – Temperature Annual Range: Wide ranges (>25 °C) in Sahel suit millet but exclude cocoa.
  • BIO8 – Mean Temperature of Wettest Quarter: 24–26 °C during June–August supports lowland rice establishment in Niger Delta.
  • BIO9 – Mean Temperature of Driest Quarter: 30–35 °C (Dec–Feb) guides dry-season irrigation crops in Kano and Katsina.
  • BIO10 – Mean Temperature of Warmest Quarter: July–Sept heat stress informs drought-tolerant maize hybrids in Middle Belt.
  • BIO11 – Mean Temperature of Coldest Quarter: 22–24 °C (Dec–Feb) favours leafy vegetables under urban peri-urban farming.
  • BIO12 – Annual Precipitation: >2000 mm in coastal Rainforest sustains yam and plantain; <600 mm in Sahel limits to millet/cowpea.
  • BIO13 – Precipitation of Wettest Month: June (south) or August (north) signals flooding risk for lowland rice.
  • BIO14 – Precipitation of Driest Month: January (<5 mm) marks critical irrigation demand for greenhouse vegetables in Kano.
  • BIO15 – Precipitation Seasonality: CV >70 % in Sahel causes planting uncertainty—early-maturing sorghum varieties advised.
  • BIO16 – Precipitation of Wettest Quarter: May–July totals guide maize and soybean sowing calendars in Guinea Savanna.
  • BIO17 – Precipitation of Driest Quarter: Dec–Feb totals (<50 mm) identify dry-season onion belts along river flood-plains.
  • BIO18 – Precipitation of Warmest Quarter: Heat + rainfall balance (Mar–May in south) influences groundnut disease risk.
  • BIO19 – Precipitation of Coldest Quarter: Nov–Jan showers (<20 mm) inform planning for irrigated wheat in fadama valleys.

🗓️ Nigerian Seasons & Regional Context

Agro-ecological Zone Rainy Season Dry/Heat Season Key Crops / Notes
Sahel (Northern fringe) Jun – Sep (single peak in Aug) Oct – May (hot Apr–May) Millet, sorghum, cowpea; irrigation vegetables in Dec–Feb
Sudan Savanna May – Sep (peak Jul–Aug) Oct – Apr (harmattan cool Jan) Groundnut, maize, rice (fadama); sorghum rotation
Guinea Savanna / Middle Belt Apr – Oct (double peaks Jun & Sep) Nov – Mar (moderate) Maize–soybean intercrop, yam, cassava; off-season vegetables
Derived Savanna Mar – Nov (short Aug break) Dec – Feb Cassava, plantain, cocoa under shade; rice in valley bottoms
Rainforest Feb – Nov (peaks Jun & Sep) Dec – Jan (short, mild) Oil-palm, cocoa, rubber, plantain; double-cropped maize
Coastal / Mangrove Year-round >2500 mm (peak Jul–Sep) Short dry spell Jan–Feb Lowland rice, fish farming, vegetable gardens

🗺️ Interactive Climate Atlas Viewer

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🌿 Interactive Land Cover Explorer (2017–2024)

Explore Nigeria’s changing land cover from 2017 to 2024 using the ArcGIS Living Atlas Land Cover Explorer. Use time sliders, animation tools, and high-resolution maps to understand landscape transformation patterns.

📅 Day 2: Socio-Economic Impacts & Adaptation

On Day 2, we shift focus to the human and economic dimensions of climate change. Interactive apps and expert sessions will highlight how climate variability affects livelihoods, health, infrastructure, and migration across Nigeria.

  • 🎤 Plenary Session: Climate Policy for Nigeria’s Future (Livestream link to be added)
  • 📊 Web Applications:
    • 🌾 Agricultural Yield & Climate Sensitivity Dashboard (ArcGIS Online)
    • 🏙️ Urban Heat Islands in Major Cities (Google Earth Engine)
    • 🏚️ Flood Vulnerability vs. Population Exposure (Interactive Web Map)
    • 🚶 Climate-Induced Migration Corridors

📚 Resource Library

Access curated resources for deeper engagement with climate data, geospatial tools, and policy-relevant materials shared during the workshop.