IPHO-Journal of Advance Research in Agriculture and Environmental Science

PREVALENCE OF PHYSICAL HAZARDS ASSESSMENT AMONG FARMERS IN OTUOGIDI, BAYELSA EAST NIGERIA : A COMMUNITY BASED CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

2026-09-10T09:33:05+00:00

Aim/Objective: Farmers in rural communities of the Niger Delta, particularly Otuogidi Community in Bayelsa State, are routinely exposed to diverse physical hazards during agricultural activities; yet community-specific prevalence data remain scarce. This study assessed the prevalence of physical hazards among farmers in Otuogidi Community, identified the types of hazards encountered, and examined the factors influencing exposure. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted using the Cochran formula, a sample size of 384 farmers was determined from the farming population of Otuogidi Community. A structured, validated questionnaire with three sections was administered face-to-face by the researchers. Data were analyzed using SPSS expressed in frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. The criterion mean of 3.00 was adopted for decision-making on Likert-scale items. Results: Findings from this study shows that the most prevalent physical hazards were excessive heat or sun exposure (89.1%), injuries from sharp tools or machinery (84.4%), slips, trips, or falls (76.0%), and extreme cold or wet conditions (72.4%). Factors most strongly identified as contributing to exposure included lack of protective equipment (x? = 4.45), long working hours or fatigue (x? = 4.36), and weather conditions (x? = 4.32). All seven factor items yielded means above the criterion mean of 3.00, indicating farmers agreed that these factors significantly influenced their hazard exposure. The grand mean of 4.23 confirmed a high overall level of agreement with the identified factors. Physical hazard prevalence among farmers in Otuogidi Community is alarmingly high, driven by environmental, behavioral, and infrastructural factors. Conclusion: There is an urgent need for community-specific occupational health interventions, including PPE provision, hazard awareness training, and policy reforms to extend occupational safety protections to the informal agricultural sector in Bayelsa State.

GEOPOLITICAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE BLACK SEA REGION AND GEORGIA'S SECURITY ENVIRONMENT

2026-09-10T08:30:32+00:00

The Black Sea and South Caucasus regions are undergoing significant geopolitical transformation resulting from changes in the regional balance of power, the expansion of transportation and energy connectivity, and the growing involvement of global and regional actors. These developments have direct implications for Georgia, whose strategic geographical position between Europe and Asia makes it an important component of regional transportation, energy, and security architecture.

This article examines the impact of geopolitical transformations in the Black Sea and South Caucasus regions on Georgia's regional significance and security environment. Particular attention is given to the changing roles of Russia, Turkey, the European Union, the United States, and China, as well as the development of the Middle Corridor, the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway, regional energy infrastructure, and the Black Sea submarine cable project. The article also examines the potential implications of emerging transportation routes through Armenia, including the Crossroads of Peace initiative and the proposed Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).

The study argues that Georgia's established transportation infrastructure, strategic location, accumulated transit experience, and international partnerships provide significant advantages over emerging competing routes. However, increased geopolitical and economic importance does not automatically guarantee improved national security. Instead, it may increase Georgia's exposure to hybrid threats, infrastructure vulnerabilities, political pressure, and competition between external actors. The article concludes that Georgia should strengthen critical infrastructure resilience, diversify international partnerships, modernize transportation networks, and consolidate its role within the Middle Corridor in order to transform its geographical advantage into a sustainable strategic advantage.

DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICES FOR SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN SOUTHERN TARABA STATE, NIGERIA: A COMMUNITY-BASED APPROACH

2026-09-18T05:24:08+00:00

This study developed and evaluated climate-smart agricultural (CSA) extension services for smallholder farmers in Southern Taraba State, Nigeria, using a community-based approach. The study specifically examined farmers’ socioeconomic characteristics, developed a participatory extension framework and evaluated its effectiveness. Primary data were obtained through structured questionnaires and key informant interviews using a multi-stage sampling technique to sampled 138 respondents across the five Local Government Areas. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation) and thematic analysis. The results revealed that 55.8% of farmers were within the economically active age group of 21–40 years, with a mean age of 38 years, while 63% were male. About 76.1% cultivated not less than one hectare, and 79.7% earned between ?100 and ?100,000 monthly, indicating limited financial capacity. Evaluation results indicated that 81.9% of farmers reported improved adaptive capacity, with observed benefits including yield improvement (29.7%) and reduced losses (24.6%). Farmers perception for developing community-based climate smart practices showed indigenous soil management, mulching, use of organic manure, traditional crop varieties and local weather predication should be incorporated. The study concludes that while smallholder farmers in Southern Taraba show promising levels of awareness and adoption of climate?smart agricultural (CSA) practices, their capacity to fully benefit from these innovations is constrained by socioeconomic limitations such as low income, restricted access to credit, small landholdings, and gender disparities. It is therefore recommended that extension programs adopt inclusive, community-based approaches that integrate indigenous knowledge, strengthen farmer participation, and improve access to affordable inputs and climate information to enhance sustainable adoption of CSA practices.