References

Abiodun, B.J., J.S. Pal, E.A. Afiesimama, W.J. Gutowski and A. Adedoyin, 2008. Simulation of West African monsoon using RegCM3 Part II: Impacts of deforestation and desertification. Theoretical Applied Climatol., 93: 245-261.
CrossRef  |  

Adger, W.N., S. Huq, K. Brown, D. Conway and M. Hulme, 2003. Adaptation to climate change in the developing world. Progress Dev. Stud., 3: 179-195.
CrossRef  |  Direct Link  |  

Agnihotri, R., K. Dutta, R. Bhushan and B.L.K. Somayajulu, 2002. Evidence for solar forcing on the Indian monsoon during the last millennium. Earth Planetary Sci. Lett., 198: 521-527.
Direct Link  |  

Ati, O.F., C.J. Stigter, E.O. Iguisi and J.O. Afolayan, 2009. Profile of rainfall change and variability in the Northern Nigeria, 1953-2002. Res. J. Environ. Earth Sci., 1: 58-63.

Ayoade, J.O., 2003. Climate Change. Vantage Publishers, Ibadan.

Braun, C.M., S. Rahmstorf, A.M. Ganopolski, C. Kubatzki, K. Roth and B. Kromer, 2005. Possible solar origin of the 1,470-year glacial climate cycle demonstrated in a coupled model. Nature, 438: 209-211.
Direct Link  |  

Cox, P.M., P.P. Harris, C. Huntingford, R.A. Betts and M. Collins et al., 2008. Increasing risk of Amazonian drought due to decreasing aerosol pollution. Nature, 453: 212-215.
CrossRef  |  

Duffie, J.A. and W.A. Beckman, 1980. Solar Engineering of Thermal Procecesses. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Canada.

Fauchereau, N., S. Trzaska, M. Rouault and Y. Richard, 2003. Rainfall variability and changes in Southern Africa during the 20th century in the global warming context. Natural Hazards, 29: 139-154.
CrossRef  |  

Fleitmann D., S.J. Burns, M. Mudelsee, U. Neff, J. Kramers, A. Mangini and A. Matter, 2003. Holocene forcing of the Indian monsoon recorded in a stalagmite from Southern Oman. Science, 300: 1737-1739.
Direct Link  |  

Gong, D.Y. and S.W. Wang, 2000. Severe summer rainfall in China associated with enhanced global warming. Climate Res., 16: 51-59.
Direct Link  |  

Goswami, B.N., V. Venugopal, D. Sengupa, M.S. Madhusoodanan and P.K. Xavier, 2006. Increasing trend of extreme rain events over India in a warming environment. Science, 314: 1442-1445.
CrossRef  |  Direct Link  |  

Haarsma, R.J., F.M. Selten, S.L. Weber and M. Kliphuis, 2005. Sahel rainfall variability and response to greenhouse warming. Geophysical Res. Lett., 32: L17702-L17702.
Direct Link  |  

Hansen, J.E. and A.A. Lacis, 1999. Sun and dust versus green house gases: An assessment of their relative roles in global climate change. Nature, 346: 713-719.
CrossRef  |  

Hodell, D.A., M. Brenner, J.H. Curtis and T. Guilderson, 2001. Solar forcing of drought frequency in the Maya Lowlands. Science, 297: 1367-1370.
CrossRef  |  Direct Link  |  

Hoyt, D.V. and K.H. Schatten, 1993. A discussion of plausible solar irradiance variation, 1700-1992. J. Geophysical Res., 99: 18895-18906.
CrossRef  |  

Hunter, P.R., 2003. Climate change and waterborne and vector-borne disease. J. Applied Microbiol., 94: 37S-46S.
Direct Link  |  

Iqbal, M., 1983. An Introduction to Solar Radiation. Academic Press, New York, Pages: 223.

Jayawardene, H.K.W.I., D.U.J. Sonnadara and D.R. Jayewardene, 2005. Trends of rainfall in sri lanka over the last century. Sri Lankan J. Physics, 6: 7-17.
Direct Link  |  

Karl, T.R. and K.E. Trenberth, 2003. Modern global climate change. Science, 302: 1719-1723.
CrossRef  |  Direct Link  |  

Laux, R., G. Jackel, R.M. Tingem and H. Kunstmann, 2010. Impact of climate change on agriculture productivity under rainfed conditions in Cameroon: A method to improve attainable crop yields by planting date adaptation. Agric. For. Meteorol., 150: 1256-1271.
Direct Link  |  

Le Barbe, L., T. Lebel and D. Tapsoba, 2002. Rainfall variability in west Africa during the years 1950-1990. J. Climate, 15: 187-202.
CrossRef  |  

Lean, J., J. Beer and R. Bradley, 1995. Reconstruction of solar irradiance since 1610: Implications for climate change. Geophys. Res. Lett., 22: 3195-3198.
Direct Link  |  

Lean, J.L., Y.M. Wang and N.R. Jr. Sheeley, 2002. The effect of increasing solar activity on the Sun's total and open magnetic flux during multiple cycles: Implications for solar forcing of climate. Geophysical Res. Lett., 29: 2224-2224.
Direct Link  |  

Lee, M.S., K. Nakane, T. Natatsubo, W.H. Mo and H. Koizumi, 2002. Effects of rainfall events on soil CO₂ flux in a cool temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest. Ecol. Res., 17: 401-409.
CrossRef  |  

Lu, J. and T.L. Delworth, 2005. Oceanic forcing of the late 20th century Sahel drought. Geophysical Res. Lett., 32: L22706-L22706.
Direct Link  |  

Menon, S., J. Hansen, L. Nazarenko and Y. Luo, 2002. Climate effects of black carbon aerosols in China and India. Science, 297: 2250-2253.
CrossRef  |  

Morduch, J., 1995. Income smoothing and consumption smoothing. J. Econ. Perspectives, 9: 103-114.
Direct Link  |  

Moussas, X., J.M. Polygiannakis, P. Preka-Papadema and G. Exarhos, 2005. Solar cycles: A tutorial. Adv. Space Res., 35: 725-738.
CrossRef  |  

Mudita, I.I., C. Chiduza, S. Richardson-Kageler and F.S. Murungu, 2008. Evaluation of different strategies of intercropping maize (Zea mays L.) and soya bean (Glycine max (L.) merrill) under small-holder production in sub-humid Zimbabwe. J. Agron., 7: 237-243.
CrossRef  |  Direct Link  |  

Obot, N. I., M.A.C. Chendo, S.O. Udo and I.O. Ewona, 2010. Evaluation of rainfall trends in Nigeria for 30 years (1978-2007). Int. J. Phys. Sci., 5: 2217-2222.
Direct Link  |  

Odjugo, P.A.O., 2010. General overview of climate change impacts in Nigeria. J. Human Ecol., 29: 47-55.
Direct Link  |  

Omokhafe, K.O. and A.O. Emuedo, 2006. Evaluation of influence of five weather characters on latex yield in Hevea brasiliensis. Int. J. Agric. Res., 1: 234-239.
CrossRef  |  Direct Link  |  

Omotosho, J.B. and B.J. Abiodun, 2007. A numerical study of moisture build-up and rainfall over West Africa. Meteorol. Appl., 14: 209-225.
Direct Link  |  

Omotosho, J.B., A.A. Balogun and K. Ogunjobi, 2000. Predicting monthly and seasonal rainfall, onset and cessation of the rainy season in West Africa using only surface data. Int. J. Climatol., 20: 865-880.
CrossRef  |  Direct Link  |  

Radford, A.N. and M.A. Du Plessis, 2003. The importance of rainfall to a cavity-nesting species. Ibis, 145: 692-694.
Direct Link  |  

Ragab, R. and C. Prudhomme, 2002. Climate change and water resources management in Arid and Semi-Arid regions: Prospective and challenges for the 21st century. Biosyst. Eng., 81: 3-34.
Direct Link  |  

Ram, M., M. Stolz and G. Koenig, 1997. Eleven year cycle of duct concentration variability observed in the dust profile of the GISP2 ice core from Central Greenland: Possible solar cycle connection. Geophysical Res. Lett., 24: 2359-2362.

Ronen, K. and D. Avinoam, 1999. Distribution of plants species in Israel in relation to spatial variation in rainfall. J. Vegetation Sci., 10: 421-432.
CrossRef  |  

Sala, O.E. and W.K. Lauenroth, 1982. Small rainfall events: An ecological role in semi-arid regions. Oecol. (Berl), 53: 301-304.
CrossRef  |  

Scherer, K. and H.J. Fahr, 2003. Solar cycle induced variations of the outer heliospheric structures. Geophysical Res. Lett., 30: 1045-1045.
CrossRef  |  

Shanahan, T.M., J.T. Overpeck, K.J. Anchukaitis, J.W. Beck and J.E. Cole et al., 2009. Atlantic forcing of persistent drought in West Africa. Science, 324: 377-380.
CrossRef  |  

Shukla, J., C. Nobre and P. Sellers, 1990. Amazon deforestation and climate change. Science, 247: 1322-1325.
CrossRef  |  Direct Link  |  

Stevens, M.J. and G.R. North, 1996. Detection of the climate response to the solar cycle. J. Atmospheric Sci., 53: 2594-2607.
Direct Link  |  

Tielborger, K. and R. Kadmon, 2000. Temporal environmental variation tips the balance between facilitation and interference in desert plants. Ecology, 81: 1544-1553.
Direct Link  |  

Trenberth, K.E., 1998. Atmospheric moisture residence times and cycling: Implications for rainfall rates and climate change. Climatic Change, 39: 667-694.
Direct Link  |  

USEPA, 2006. Global Anthropogeric Non-CO₂ Greenhouse Gas Emission: 1990-2020. US EPA, Washington, DC.

Van Geel, B., O.M. Raspopov, H. Renssen, J. van der Plicht, V.A. Dergachev and H.A.J. Meijer, 1999. The role of solar forcing upon climate change. Q. Sci. Rev., 18: 331-338.
CrossRef  |  

Wigley, T.M. and S.C.B. Raper, 1990. Climate change due to solar irradiance change. Geophysical Res. Lett., 17: 2169-2172.