An Assessment of Climate Change Awareness and Adaptation Measures Among Urban Residents in Jos, Plateau State

Urban populations in Nigeria's Middle Belt zone confront increasingly erratic rainfall, temperature rise, and extreme weather events, yet city-level assessments of climate change awareness and the adaptation measures residents adopt remain insufficiently documented. This study assesses climate change awareness levels and documents adaptation measures among urban residents in Jos, Plateau State. A random sample of 250 adult residents drawn from five residential zones of Jos North Local Government Area completed structured questionnaires measuring climate change knowledge, perceived risk, and household adaptation behaviour. Awareness was assessed across dimensions of cause, consequence, and response options, with findings disaggregated by gender, educational level, and occupation. Results indicate that 64 percent of respondents demonstrate awareness of climate change as a phenomenon, yet mechanistic understanding of greenhouse gas dynamics is limited to 28 percent. Perceived risk is highest among farmers and market traders dependent on weather-sensitive livelihoods. Documented adaptation measures are predominantly reactive rather than planned, including crop calendar adjustments, household water storage expansion, and rooftop material changes to reduce heat penetration. Formal institutional adaptation support is perceived as inadequate by 82 percent of respondents. Gender disaggregation reveals that women demonstrate higher perceived vulnerability despite similar awareness levels to men. The study recommends targeted climate literacy programmes through community radio, integration of climate adaptation messaging into existing government social protection programmes, and inclusion of community voices in Jos Metropolitan Development Agency planning. Keywords: climate change awareness, urban adaptation, Jos, Plateau State, perceived risk.