Air Pollution, Climate Change and Ecosystem Health in the Niger Delta

Abstract

There are interactions and feedbacks between air pollution as a driver of environmental change, climate change, and overall ecosystem health. Air pollution is a major environmental problem, particularly in developing countries where regulations may be lax. This paper explores the nexus between air pollution, climate change and overall ecosystem health in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. It brings novelty by exploring these issues with an environmental justice lens. This is particularly pertinent due to the ecological sensitiveness of the region and the high dependence of the indigenes on the land and water. The region’s ecosystem is becoming more and more threatened as pollution increases and the climate changes further. Nigeria’s position as the largest oil producer in Africa and the sixth largest in the world is due to the oil and gas reserves of its Niger Delta region. The irony becomes that while the region is the mainstay of the Nigerian economy or is a source of national ‘good’, they have received in return only environmental ‘bads’. The many levels of deprivation experienced by the indigenes of the Niger Delta is a classic case of environmental injustice where the region disproportionately bears a much higher burden of air, land, and water pollution in comparison to other parts of the country. Gas flaring, fossil fuel burning, artisanal refining of crude, and transportation are found to be the main sources of air pollution in the locality. Mitigating air pollution and the attendant impacts requires urgent action and concerted effort at the individual, local and national levels. This paper provides recommendations in this regard.

Computing Vegetation Indices from the Satellite Images Using GRASS GIS Scripts for Monitoring Mangrove Forests in the Coastal Landscapes of Niger Delta, Nigeria

“…Another important threat to the distribution of mangroves is presented by the anthropogenic activities such as oil and gas exploration in the Niger River Delta [55], which results in environmental problems such as oil bunkering, oil spillage [56], refining of crude oil [57]. Related processes include air pollution due to gas flaring, fossil fuel burning and transportation contribute to the degradation of the coastal landscapes [58]. Oil spillage increases the concentration of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the sediments [59].…”

Heavy metals contamination of seafood from the crude oil-impacted Niger Delta Region of Nigeria: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…The Niger Delta Region of Nigeria (NDRN), which spans an area of about 110000 km 2 and houses over 30 million inhabitants, is the hub of crude oil exploration activities in Nigeria [1] . The intensity of crude oil exploration activities in this region is evident from the fact that Nigeria derives over 80% of its national revenue from crude oil [1] .…”

“…The Niger Delta Region of Nigeria (NDRN), which spans an area of about 110000 km 2 and houses over 30 million inhabitants, is the hub of crude oil exploration activities in Nigeria [1] . The intensity of crude oil exploration activities in this region is evident from the fact that Nigeria derives over 80% of its national revenue from crude oil [1] . The NDRN is considered the largest delta in the world, consisting of several tributaries that empties into the Atlantic ocean through coastline that spans about 450 km [1] , [2] .…”

“…The intensity of crude oil exploration activities in this region is evident from the fact that Nigeria derives over 80% of its national revenue from crude oil [1] . The NDRN is considered the largest delta in the world, consisting of several tributaries that empties into the Atlantic ocean through coastline that spans about 450 km [1] , [2] . The region which comprises 9 states, has rich presence of several multinational oil prospecting companies, petrochemical industries as well as oil wells, flow stations and several kilometers of oil pipelines which crisscrosses the region [3] , [4] .…”

“…The region which comprises 9 states, has rich presence of several multinational oil prospecting companies, petrochemical industries as well as oil wells, flow stations and several kilometers of oil pipelines which crisscrosses the region [3] , [4] . There is an extensive deterioration of the NDRN’s environment occasioned by several decades and annual records of oil spill events, intense oil bunkering and illegal artisan crude oil refining activities [1] . Over 13 million barrels of crude oil has spilled into this region between 1954 and 2012 with additional oils-spillage events occurring at about 200000 barrels per year [5] , [6] .…”