An Overview of Environmental Challenges Stifling Sustainable Livelihood in Rural Nigeria

Abstract

General consensus is that Nigeria environment is being degraded but the implications of this on the livelihood of majority of the populace who inhabited the rural areas is usually ignored as they are the voiceless, as voices are only raised when tragedy struck in major cities. Through review of literatures this paper identified environmental problems threatening sustainable rural livelihood in Nigeria to include deforestation, desertification, drought, environmental pollution and climate change. These problems arose from natural and human-made threats and direct and indirect consequences of socio-economic development. This paper argued that listening to the voices of the rural poor is essential in the fight to reduce poverty and resource-scarcity induced conflicts. As the progress whatever the Nigeria nation has made so far has largely been achieved at the detriment of the rural poor. It was reiterated that complete evaluation of environmental degradation should consider the roles marginalization of rural poor, poverty and unsustainable agricultural practices played in undermining achievement of effective environmental protection and management in rural Nigeria. The paper concluded that policies that will bridge increasing gap between rural and urban areas, poor and the rich will go a long way in ensuring sustainability of natural environment.