Wetland Users' Livelihood Response to Seasonal Fluctuation in Kumadugu-Yobe River Basin Wetlands

The wetlands of kumadugu yobe river basin are the livelihood soul of the communities living around the wetlands site. The dominant pastoralist and agrarian population of the wetland site drives their livelihood directly from the wetlands. This study examines how the livelihoods of wetland users respond to fluctuations in wetlands. A total of 294 households were sampled. The interview questions focused on resources extracted from the wetlands, seasonal changes in volumes of wetland resources, and the impact of resource dynamics on general livelihoods. Both Descriptive and inferential statistical tools were employed in analysing the data collected. The study revealed that the wetlands are found to be the source of livelihood to 97% of the wetlands population. Degradation in wetlands productivity affects agricultural output by   61%, 48%, 55%, 71%, 65%, 73% and 47% for rice, wheat, maize, guinea corn, millet, groundnut, and cowpea, respectively, and fishing output by 77%. The shrinking of wetlands favoured wet-season livestock production, but affected dry-season grazing and increased the farmers/harder conflict. The impact of wetlands components' fluctuations on the assets and income of wetlands users is statistically significant at the 99% level. The livelihood of the KYRB wetland population responds significantly to any slight changes in the wetlands. Therefore, the Kumadugu River basin's wetlands degradation means livelihood lost to 97% of the population, thus necessitating proper management strategies to prevent the wetlands from disappearing, to prevent a social catastrophe that can affect the whole Sahel region's stability.   Received: 2023-05-14 Revised: 2025-12-11 Accepted: 2026-03-05 Published: 2025-04-01