Causes of Environmental Degradation in the Coastal Areas of South West, Nigeria

Joy Oluwatomi Jiboye,Charles Olufisayo Olatubara,Christopher Ogolo Ikporukpo

doi:10.20897/ejosdr/3969

Abstract

Environmental degradation is an increasing problem in many parts of the world and the type of ecology prevalent in an area plays a major factor that determines the extent of degradation. The study examines causes of environmental degradation in coastal areas of south west Nigeria. It was propelled by environmental challenges, and identified responsible factors in the study area. Environmental degradation is the major concept in this study and the DPSIR framework was used in understanding the concept. The study was carried out using primary and secondary sources of data collection. The main techniques for primary data collection were questionnaire survey and focus group discussions. Data were collected from one thousand, seven hundred and eighty-two (1,782) sampled respondents who are coastal dwellers that are involved in economic activities within the coastal areas. The FGD was conducted in 54 settlements with a minimum of 10 discussants which constitute a mix of the elderly men and women in all the sampled communities. Secondary data were obtained from National Population Commission (2006). Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics as well as cartographic method, and the information from the FGD were analysed using a thematic approach. The study shows that waves breaking along the coastline are the main explanatory factors responsible for coastal erosion (84.0%). Flooding in the settlements where it occurs was mostly attributed to tidal rise/tidal waves (97.0%). Tidal wave was believed to be the major cause of water hyacinth (51.8%). Pollution is caused by a mixed factor of over development of coastal areas, migration to coastal areas, population growth and increased tourism. Soil infertility is caused mainly by sea water infiltration into farmlands especially when farmlands are located too close to coast lines (73%). Over development of the coastal area is mainly responsible for sand mining (67.0%). The study concludes that environmental influence remains strong in the coastal environment. Therefore, concerted community efforts are needed to provide leadership and modalities for the management of environmental challenges in coastal communities. Fundamentally, official attention should be geared towards reducing the rate at which the environment becomes degraded in the coastal communities.

Highlights

The world’s population of nearly one billion in the year 1800 has grown to approximately 7.4 billion in the year 2015, and population projections suggest that the world population will fall somewhere between 7.5 and 10.5 billion by 2050, depending on changes in national level fertility and mortality rates (UNPD, 2009)
Some of the farmers reported that tidal rise and fall contributes to soil infertility especially when farmlands are located too close to coast lines
Flooding in the settlements where it occurs was mostly attributed to several factors such as tidal rise/tidal waves, pollution/block drainages, climate change, heavy rainfall and blocked or no drainage

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The world’s population of nearly one billion in the year 1800 has grown to approximately 7.4 billion in the year 2015, and population projections suggest that the world population will fall somewhere between 7.5 and 10.5 billion by 2050, depending on changes in national level fertility and mortality rates (UNPD, 2009). As indicated by the I=PAT equation, environmental impact (I) or degradation is caused by the combination of an already very large and increasing human population (P), continually increasing economic growth or per capita affluence (A), and the application of resource depleting and polluting technology (T) (Chertow, 2001). Ecological impact or degradation is created by the consolidation of an effectively substantial and expanding human populace, constantly expanding monetary development or per capita fortune and the application of asset exhausting and polluting technology It occurs when earth’s natural resources are depleted and environment is compromised in the form of extinction of species, pollution in air, water and soil, and rapid growth in population. The DPSIR assessment framework considers all the important indicators of environmental degradation assessment, its adoption in this study

LITERATURE REVIEW

MATERIALS AND METHODS

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS