CLIMATE CHANGE AND INSECURITY IN THE NIGER DELTA AREA OF NIGERIA
Abstract
This paper explores climate change and insecurity in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria. It delved into the concept of climate change, its causes as well as issues of insecurity, the types of insecurity; political, economic, social, environmental and the causes of the insecurity in the region. The paper additionally examined how climate change has contributed to insecurity in the Niger Delta, with a focus on the environmental impacts of climate change on the region, including flooding, coastal erosion, and loss of arable land. The paper further discusses how these environmental impacts have led to social and economic insecurity, including displacement, poverty, and conflict as well as the connection between climate change and insecurity in the region. The paper concluded that climate change is contributing to environmental degradation, economic instability, and social conflict, all of which are major factors that are driving insecurity in the Niger Delta region. Finally, the paper suggested some solutions to the problem of climate change-induced insecurity in the Niger Delta, including investment in sustainable development, environmental protection initiatives and environmental management strategies. However, it is important to note that no single solution will solve all of the issues facing the region, so a combination of approaches is needed, including economic, environmental, and social initiatives
Keywords:
Climate Change,, Insecurity, Niger Delta AreaDownloads
Published
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10144100Issue
Section
How to Cite
References
Addison, T., & Murshed, S. M. (2010). The conflict trap: Economic reforms and the recurrence of violence. World Bank.
Adedoyin, F. A. (2012). The role of peacebuilding in managing conflict and insecurity in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, 14(1), 94-108.
Adelekan, A. A. (2013). The impact of oil and gas exploration on coastal ecosystems: A case study of the Niger Delta region, Nigeria. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 76(1), 56-63.
Agbafor, O. G., & Ufford, D. E. (2013). Biodiversity, human impacts and conservation of the Niger Delta mangroves. Journal of Applied Biosciences, 61(2), 1209-1221.
Agbiboa, D. E. (2016). Climate change, resource conflict and the security challenges of Nigeria's Niger Delta. International Journal of Global Warming, 9(2), 1-19.
Agrawal, A. (2005). Environmentality: Technologies of government and the making of subjects. Duke University Press.
Agrawal, A., & Sivaramakrishnan, K. (2016). Research in political ecology: Key debates and new directions. Island Press.
Aigbokhan, A. E. (2016). Environment, poverty and insecurity in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. The Developing Economies, 54(2), 119-145.
Akande, A. A., Fashola, O., & Oni, J. A. (2016). An analysis of the impact of climate change on water resources in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Global Journal of Environmental Sciences, 16(3), 55-65.
Akor, I. N., & Iyayi, J. O. (2016). Ecological problems, conflicts and the sustainability of the Niger Delta. Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development, 2(4), 191-203.
Anyene, L. C. (2015). The impact of climate change on agriculture in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, 7(3), 256-268.
Ayuk, C. O., & Ekpeyong, H. A. (2011). Impacts of oil exploration on Nigerian rainforest biodiversity. Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy, 14(1), 77-94.
Bamidele, T. O. (2018). International organizations and the struggle for environmental justice in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. International Journal of International Law and Contemporary Legal Issues, 1(2), 56-69.
Biersack, A. (2006). Reimagining political ecology. In E. Moran & H. Shapiro (Eds.), Human nature: The categorical imperative in environmental practice (pp. 47-64). University of California Press.
Brauch, H. G. (2016). Human security and human insecurities: Concept and application in political science and international relations. Springer Briefs in Environmental Science. Springer, Cham.
Bryant, R. L. (2004). Political ecology: An introductory overview. In K. Sivaramakrishnan & A. Agrawal (Eds.), Key concepts in political ecology (pp. 3-24). Columbia University Press.
Cassin, A., & Bero, J. (2018). Multinational oil corporations and the violation of human rights in the Niger Delta: Global and local views on corporate responsibility. International Journal of Human Rights, 22(2), 392-407.
Clapham, J. D., & Liverman, D. M. (2009). Environmental insecurity, violence and migration. WIREs Climate Change, 1(1), 59-69.
Clements, R., Salau, A., & Uche, S. (2019). Climate change politics and the Niger Delta. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 10(2), e555.
Collier, P. (2007). The bottom billion: Why the poorest countries are failing and what can be done about it. Oxford University Press.
Dery, M. K., Eboh, M. E., & Ojakorotu, O. (2019). Petroleum pollution and indigenous health crisis in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. Journal of Environmental Health, 81(6), 3-8.
Dibua, C. E. (2019). Deforestation and environmental security in the oil-rich region of the Niger Delta, Nigeria. Journal of the Anthropological Survey of India, 68(1), 49-56.
Dike, P. A., & Korieh, C. K. (2018). The demographic transition of the Niger Delta: Population growth and urbanization. African Population Studies, 32(1), 81-102.
Ebimobowei, M. T. (2016). Environmental injustice, insecurity and insecurity in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Asian Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 4(3), 32-40.
Egbula, O. I. (2013). The Niger Delta region of Nigeria: New strategy for conflict resolution and development. Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, 15(7), 293-320.
Erokhin, L. I., Krylatov, A. V., & Spiridonov, O. P. (2015). Impacts of climate change on agriculture in the Niger Delta. Natural Sciences, 4(2), 27-36.
Fattah, E. (2011). Insecurity, the social contract and the state in the Niger Delta. The Journal of Modern African Studies, 49(3), 369-395.
Godspower, I. N. E., & Onosode, G. T. (2017). Sustainable environmental management: An imperative for peace and prosperity in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Global Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, 6(2), 69-83.
Heshmati, E. M. (2021). Impact of Climate change on life. Environmental Issues and Sustainable Development, 1-20.
Holechek, J. L., Geli, H. M., Sawalhah, M. N., & Valdez, R. (2022). A global assessment: can renewable energy replace fossil fuels by 2050? Sustainability, 14(8), 4792.
Ikelegbe, A. (2010). The Niger Delta and the oil industry: Insecurity and underdevelopment in a petroleum economy. African Affairs, 109(435), 211-231.
Ikomi, O. T., & Badejo, O. (2019). Effects of the petroleum industry on the environment in the Niger Delta of Nigeria. Sustainable Environment Research, 29(4), 1291-1299.
Imuetinyan, P. N., Uangbaoje, E. E., & Emmanuel, I. F. (2012). A critical analysis of the nexus between climate change, insecurity and development: Implications for security sector reforms in the Niger Delta region. European Scientific Journal, 8(9), 1-25.
International Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). (2018). Global report on internal displacement: Nigeria. Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. https://www.internal-displacement.org/sub-saharan-africa/nigeria/figures-analysis.
Jackson, S. T. (2023). Climate variation, climatic change, climatic fluctuation, climatic variation. Encyclopedia of Britannica.
Jacobson, G. E. (2017). Analyzing the impacts of environmental security on state sovereignty: The case of the Niger Delta. World Environment, 38(5), 234-245.
Jatto, Y., & Obakpolor, B. (2018). A review of soil erosion control practices for sustainable agriculture in the tropical environment of the Niger Delta. International Journal of Agricultural Science, 3(9), 16-30.
Jepson, C., & D'Angelo, J. M. (2010). The Niger Delta: Oil and gas conflict and the challenge of sustainable development. Westview Press.
Kameri-Mbote, P. (2012). Towards the sustainable management of Africa's ecosystems: A case study of the Niger Delta. The Journal of Environment and Development, 21(1), 62-86.
Le Billon, P. (2011). The political ecology of 'oil conflict' in the Niger Delta. African Affairs, 110(438), 313-338.
Li, T. M. (2007). The will to improve: Governmentality, development, and the practice of politics. Duke University Press.
Mishra, N. (2017). Impact of climatic variation on groundwater: A review. International Journal of Advances in Engineering & Scientific Research, 4(2), 01–06.
Nwilo, P. O. (2018). The health impacts of gas flaring on Niger Delta host communities. Journal of Environmental Quality and Public Health, 5(6), 127-142.
Nwilo, P. O. (2019). The impact of gas flaring on air quality and public health in the Niger Delta. Journal of Health and Pollution, 9, 12.
Obasi, I. J., Eruaga, E. T., & Okeke, M. U. (2016). Environmental insecurity and conflicts in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. Asian Journal of Humanities and Social Studies, 4(6), 140-151.
Ogunrotifa, O. (2011). Oil, environment and conflict resolution in the Niger Delta region: Prospects and challenges. Asian Journal of Social Science, 39(2), 161-181.
Oke, A. S., & Ekanade, K. S. (2010). Climate change and insecurity in Nigeria. African Journal of Sustainable Development, 2(1), 98-107.
Oke, P. O., Gebru, T., Gopalakrishnan, S., Mbohwa, C., & Ato-Awit, A. (2018). Drought, flood and adaptive capacity of rain-fed agriculture to climate change in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Journal of Geography and Regional Planning, 11(10), 326-333.
Okonta, I. (2002). Insecurity, violence and the politics of oil in the Niger Delta. Review of African Political Economy, 29(93), 543-564.
Olakunle, O. T. (2016). The nexus between unemployment and insecurity in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. University Press.
Omeje, K. (2012). The causes of underdevelopment in the Niger Delta region: A critical analysis. Asian Journal of Social Science, 40(4), 495-519.
Oso, F., Oso, J. O., & Igbokwe, C. C. (2015). Environmental degradation in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Petroleum, 7(6), 759-768.
Robbins, P. (2012). Political ecology: A critical introduction. Wiley-Blackwell.
Soforowa, A., & Atehnkeng, C. J. (2017). Impact of oil pollution on human health in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, 9(1), 25-33.
Tawari, A., & Oginni, O. S. (2016). Climate change and human health in the oil rich Niger Delta. International Journal of Environment and Public Health, 20, 1-8.
Tekena, E., Oduaran, D., & Osipitan, M. (2022). Regional peace and security dynamics in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. African Security, 15(2), 1-27.
The Government of Nigeria. (2017). The Niger Delta Development Commission Master Plan. Nigeria: Government of Nigeria. Government Press.
Udofia, E. O., & Aronu, S. (2011). Environmental management for peacebuilding and sustainable development in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. University Press.
Ukiwo, U. (2015). Militancy, piracy, oil and the state in the Niger Delta. African Affairs, 114(456), 23-39.
Umejesi, E. C., Adeola, O. A., Oke, A. O., Amaeze, E. K., Anabor, C. O., Nwankwo, O. O., Omoruyi, B. I., Okigbo, N. A., & Ozigi, B. O. (2021). Climate change and human security in the Niger Delta: An analysis of the challenges and opportunities. International Journal of Development and Sustainability, 10(1), 1261-1285.
UNEP. (2011). Environmental assessment of Ogoniland. UNEP.
Uwadulije, C., Anagba, C., Osaruyi, E., Oliha, H., & Oruonye, E. (2016). Review of literature on the impacts of oil exploration and production on mangrove ecosystem and biodiversity loss in the Niger Delta. International Journal of Advanced Research, 4(4), 292-299.
Yusuf, I. A., Abu, H. A., & Ogunrotifa, A. (2019). An overview of climate change impacts on Niger Delta region. International Journal of Education and Research, 7(9), 35-42.
