EFFECT OF LAND DEGRADATION & COPING STRATEGIES AMONG RURAL WOMEN IN OMO STATE SEPTEMBER

This study focuses on the complex and intricate relationship between the rural women and land degradation in lmo state, Nigeria. lt highlights the activities of women that accelerate land degradation, the impact of the degraded land on women as well as the coping mechanisms adopted by women of vanous socio-economic statuses encountering similar environmental problems. The study also deals with various single handed efforts made by the women at controlling the· problem of land degradation, as well as the obstacles to- their efforts. Finally, recommendations are suggested based on the findings of the study. The investigat_ion involves a sample of 500 women 3 Local Government Areas(LGAs) and 30 villages that were selected through simple random and systemat(c sampling methods. Findings reveal that the majority of women in agriculture in lmo state are married, 97.3% are middle-aged rangïng from 26 - 55 years old, with low-annual incarne, averaging about N13,000. They maintain a large families, with'• a mean famify size of 8 and operate at subsistence level with traditional tools and low level technology. Their level of education is equally low, majority of them (84.7 per cent) either have only-primary education or no formai education of any kind_, only 15.3 per cent had secondary education nd above. The women have suffered drastic fr?gmentation and reduction in their farm sizes. On the average