Abstract
Nigeria environment today is being confronted with myriads of ecological problems, which have resulted in serious degradation of many watersheds. These environmental problems are occurring at increasing and alarming rates and are being accelerated by man’s activities such as urbanization, increased agricultural activities, deforestation, bush burning, civil construction works, over-grazing and poor water resource management among others. These land-use transformation activities most times disrupt the natural processes of a basin thus triggering the occurrence of accelerated erosion, sedimentation, slope failure, flooding, drought, desert encroachment and pollution. Response to these problems in the recent past in the country has not been good, hence this paper. Effective and efficient basin management is a perquisite for reduction of natural disasters and achievement of sustainable development.
Highlights
Drainage basin refers to topographically defined areas within the total catchment area of a major river system (Edwards et al 2015)
Inadequate intervention and neglect to control the degradation process have contributed to the magnitude of ecological problems within the drainage basins in Nigeria (Ofomata, 1991; Faniran and Jeje, 1983; Faniran; 1991; Jimoh, 2003; Okoko and Ohijimi, 2003; Nabegu, 2005; Adedayo, 2007; Iroye, 2010; Aremu and Sule 2010; Eniolorunda, 2010), the call in this paper for its comprehensive management; this is because, how the river basin is developed and managed will have a major impact on present and future living standards of its inhabitants and on the ecosystem (Srinivas, 2015; Lee and Dinar, 1995)
Improvement in hydro-meteorological facilities: Paucity of data remains one of the biggest problems in basin hydro-meteorological research in developing countries. This factor accounts for the reason why most drainage basins especially in Nigeria cannot be properly managed (Faniran, 1991)
Summary
Drainage basin (watershed or catchment area) refers to topographically defined areas within the total catchment area of a major river system (Edwards et al 2015). The uses to which man put various aspects of the drainage basin considerably interrupt the tendency of a drainage basin to Watershed Management and Sustainable Development achieve equilibrium within its components Such action of man includes increased agricultural activities, deforestation, civil construction works, overgrazing, bush burning, drainage blockage, poor water resource management, urbanization increased population pressure on land and other associated anthropogenic activities. These activities which usually result in degradation of the basins are occurring at increasing and alarming rates and are being manifested in form of soil erosion, flood, drought, desertification and sedimentation among others. Inadequate intervention and neglect to control the degradation process have contributed to the magnitude of ecological problems within the drainage basins in Nigeria (Ofomata, 1991; Faniran and Jeje, 1983; Faniran; 1991; Jimoh, 2003; Okoko and Ohijimi, 2003; Nabegu, 2005; Adedayo, 2007; Iroye, 2010; Aremu and Sule 2010; Eniolorunda, 2010), the call in this paper for its comprehensive management; this is because, how the river basin is developed and managed will have a major impact on present and future living standards of its inhabitants and on the ecosystem (Srinivas, 2015; Lee and Dinar, 1995)
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