The Correlation between prevailing climatic conditions and prices of building materials – a case study of Anambra State, Nigeria

Climate change is a global phenomenon of our time. Characteristics of climate change such as irregular rate of rainfall, increased temperatures, extreme relative humidity, etc., has not only been a threat to the natural environment in Nigeria, it also has an impact on the prices of building materials, which is a cost significant resource in building construction. It is against this backdrop that the study determined the statistical relationship or correlation that exists between the prevalent climatic variables of rainfall, temperature and humidity and prices of some selected construction materials (cement, reinforcement and formwork). Awka city, Anambra State, in South-East Nigeria formed the study area, because of the popularity of the State in commercial activities. The year 2014 served as the scope of the study, while data on climatic variables and prices of the building materials were gathered from Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and a market survey. Correlation and regression test statistics were employed for the analysis. Empirical results from a joint significance analysis revealed that changes in cement price have a high degree of relationship with the climatic variables (Coefficient of correlation, ‘R’= 0.775); the climatic variables have a moderate degree of relationship with prices of reinforcement (R= 0.556) and an R value of 0.817 indicating that the climatic variables have a strong relationship with prices of formwork. It was therefore established, that building material prices can be remarkably affected by any change in climate variables. Hence, to ensure cost savings on building projects, there is the need for clients and building stakeholders to be weather conscious and plan properly, at all stages of building construction, the ordering time and purchase of materials to be used.