Impact of Climate Change on Sustainable Architectural Practices in North Eastern Nigeria: Passive Cooling, Flood-Resistant Structures, and Community-Based Adaptation in Borno and Adamawa States

Climate change poses existential dangers to communities in North Eastern Nigeria, where rising temperatures and increasingly unpredictable rains make conventional housing unsuitable and, in some circumstances, untenable. This research investigates climatic vulnerability and sustainable building methods in Borno and Adamawa states, which are dealing with humanitarian crises and acute energy poverty. Nigeria has a serious energy access deficit: nearly 40% of the population, or 90 million people, lacks grid connectivity, one of the greatest gaps in Sub-Saharan Africa. The analysis of forecasted climate data, passive cooling techniques, flood-resistant building, and community-based adaptation reveals both innovations and implementation challenges. The findings show that anticipated temperature rises of up to 5.2°C by 2100 need climate-responsive design, including solar shading, thermal mass insulation, and passive ventilation. A thorough study of passive cooling solutions in African environments reveals that integrated approaches result in 3-5°C reductions in interior temperature and 20-60% reductions in cooling energy consumption. Concurrently, recurring flooding necessitates structural changes such as flood-resistant materials and green infrastructure. The paper describes promising community-driven interventions compressed stabilised earth block construction, the Muna Type Transitional Shelter, and the Birkaroonlatrine, which received 98% user acceptance while identifying policy gaps, financial constraints, and knowledge deficits as primary scaling barriers. The recently announced Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for air conditioners, which are set to be implemented by 2026, constitute an important legislative lever for decreasing cooling-related emissions. Women and girls endure disproportionate climate and energy responsibilities, yet their involvement in solution creation is restricted. The study indicates that effective adaptation necessitates integrated methods that include technological innovation, strong policy frameworks, meaningful community engagement (including gender-responsive design), and alignment with energy access policies. With 40% of Nigerians without grid connection and the national system failing nine times in 2024 alone, architectural and energy transformations must occur concurrently.