Echoes from the coast: Assessment of residents’ perception of environmental hazards and risks in coastal communities of Nigeria

Abstract

AbstractHuman settlements can be threatened by presence of environmental hazards, as their incidence is often unpredictable in temporal and spatial dimension. Coastal communities in oil‐producing states are often at risk of natural and technological environmental hazards as well as those emanating from residents’ living conditions. This paper therefore examines the residents’ perception of environmental hazards and risks in coastal communities of Nigeria. This work is aimed at providing information that could guide in improving environmental awareness and safety in the study area. Three coastal communities (Sapele, Oghara, and Koko) were selected in Delta State, Nigeria. One ward was randomly selected out of every three wards in each community. Thus, three wards were selected in Sapele, two in Oghara, and one in Koko, and a questionnaire was administered on every fifth residential building in each of the selected wards. A total of 218 residents were selected for the survey using this systematic sampling technique. The study established that residents were aware of environmental hazards and risks in the study area. Furthermore, the study found out that residents did not perceive environmental hazards and risks emanating from their living conditions as threats to their living compared to technological (oil‐induced) and natural environmental risks. The study recommends that government and all concerned agencies synergize efforts to create enlightenment programs and implement policies that could enhance residents’ awareness of environmental hazards and risks arising from their living conditions. Also environmental hazards and risks education should be introduced into school curriculum. Finally, the government should promulgate and enforce laws to guide the activities of industrialists and manage the threats from flood in the study area.