Nature Under Siege

Portrait of Environmental Crisis in the Niger Delta

Expressions such as Environmental terrorism or eco-anarchy may sum up the state of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, in a bid to explain the indiscriminate cutting of pristine forests, terminal scare of wildlife and extinction of biodiversity, loss of soil fertility and fecundity of rivers, acidified atmosphere, corroded roofs, disease, conflicts, militarization, extra-judicial killing, inflation and collapse of traditional economy, poverty, prostitution, rape, death.... But embedded in the clatter of this semantic analysis are the realities of an abused environment, where uncertainty looms in daylight and grief rules the night; for well over five decades that the region has come under intense ravaging by the oil industry, the effect is evident in the physical, biological and socio-economic environments. Against the background of rich but fragile ecosystems where nature experiments with its components at will; and the picture of a consciously raped ecology, this book examines the lingering environmental crises in Nigerias oil-rich region. With appropriate use of case studies based on practical field experience, and explicit discourse on remedial measures, the book is fashioned to meet the interest of all classes of persons including students of environmental management, policy makers and stakeholders in the Niger Delta environment.