Mitigation

A Review on the Effects of Crude Oil Spill on Aquatic Life (Fish) in The Niger Delta, Nigeria (Published)

The discovery of crude oil in commercial quantities in the Niger Delta was echoes of riches and wealth to the region and the country, Nigeria but the Niger Delta environment and aquatic ecosystems suffers great anthropogenic pollutions to its biodiversity: birds, animals, plants and crops; fishes and wildlife. This article has reviewed the effects of crude oil spill on the aquatic life (fish) in the Niger Delta, examining cases of oil spill incidences, impacts of oil exploration and exploitation on the environment, management of oil spill on living aquatic resources; biomagnification and threat to biodiversity and food security. It also examined the extent of crude oil removal techniques, and finally proffer possible mitigations and compensations for oil spills incidences in the Niger Delta. We are left with a great question: can gas flaring and illegal refineries be stopped, in the Niger Delta? The Niger Delta waters and the aquatic biodiversity should be protected; the government and multi-national oil companies should launch a clean-up programme on the affected areas/the region, and the management of spills (both of catastrophic and local dimensions) will play a leading role by enacting and enforcing stringent environmental laws that will protect the oil producing communities/areas. Government should be able to identify natural resources (such as wetlands and coastal zones) in Nigeria and monetary investment in environmental protection of vulnerable areas should be seriously looked into.

Keywords: Biodiversity, Bioremediation, Fish, Mitigation, Pollution, Wetland, aquatic resources, biomagnification

Capacity Building for Disaster Mitigation in The Flood Plains Areas of Kogi State, Nigeria (Published)

Capacity buildings in the built environment shut the laxity of urban control and regulatory compliance in developing areas. In Kogi State, Nigeria, they had been an urban chaos of natural disasters such as floods leading to deaths, destruction of houses, and properties in communities. This paper identifies and examines the potential hazards and risks precaution, focusing on the development of local stakeholders for threat identification, preparedness, strengths and weakness towards disaster mitigation in Nigeria. Quantitative data were collected using a structured questionnaire survey of building owners, residents, architects, engineers, surveyors, building supervisors, and building control officers with a valid percentage of 82% responses, and semi-structured face-to-face interviews and case study methods with aforementioned built environment relevant stakeholders in obtaining information on the necessity of capacity building to prevent or reduce the impact of disaster. Using SPSS for descriptive and inferential statistics analysis and the content analysis for qualitative data, the findings indicates that professionals in the built environment support the development of local communities and other stakeholders in identifying hazards, knowing who is at risk to be harmed, the precaution to be taken, record keeping, and periodic updating of the data. There was a capacity building gap for self-help disaster prevention and strengthening among the local communities as it relates to the built environment standards and regulations which will reduce the impacts of the hazard from the case studies. And the qualitative analysis revealed that there was sketchy information on previous data of disaster occurrences, awareness on preparedness, local infrastructures development and maintenance for standards and regulation compliance and control strategies are in dire needs of the local capacity building in Nigeria. Thus, the findings finally lead to the proposed recommendations uch as compulsory training to improve skills and knowledge of stakeholders, insurance policy education to create awareness, suspension of building approval within the areas, and training of vulnerable women and children for the local capacity building as a means of reducing the impacts of disasters in Nigeria.

Keywords: Capacity building, Compliance, Control, Disaster, Mitigation

Review on Climate change impact on soils: adaptation and Mitigation (Published)

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, global temperatures are expected to increase 1.1 to 6.4°C during the 21st century, and precipitation patterns will be altered by climate change. Soils  are  intricately  linked  to  the  atmospheric–climate  system  through  the  carbon,  nitrogen,  and  hydrologic cycles.  Altered climate will, therefore, have an effect on soil processes and properties, and at the same time, the soils themselves will have an effect on climate. Study of the effects of climate change  on soil processes and properties  is  still  nascent,  but  has  revealed  that  climate  change  will  impact  soil  organic  matter  dynamics, including  soil  organisms  and  the  multiple  soil  properties  that  are  tied  to  organic  matter,  soil  water,  and  soil erosion.  The  exact  direction  and  magnitude  of  those  impacts  will  be  dependent  on  the  amount  of  change  in atmospheric gases, temperature, and precipitation amounts and patterns. Recent studies give reason to believe at least some soils may become net sources of atmospheric carbon as temperatures rise and that this is particularly true of high latitude regions with currently permanently frozen soils. Soil erosion by both wind and water is also likely to increase. However, there are still many things we need to know more about. How climate change will affect the nitrogen cycle and, in turn, how the nitrogen cycle will affect carbon sequestration in soils is a major research need, as is a better understanding of soil water–CO2 level–temperature relationships. Knowledge of the response of plants to elevated atmospheric CO2 given limitations in nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus and associated  effects  on  soil  organic  matter  dynamics  is  a  critical  need.  There  is  also  a  great  need  for  a  better understanding  of  how  soil  organisms  will  respond  to  climate  change  because  those  organisms  are  incredibly important in a number of soil processes, including the carbon and nitrogen cycles.

 

Keywords: Adaptation, Climate Change, Impact, Mitigation, Review, soils

Environmental Adult Education Programmes Needed to Mitigate Pluvial Flooding In Aba of Abia State, Nigeria: An Empirical/Participatory Study (Published)

Pluvial flooding has been causing a lot of devastation in many parts of Abia State of Nigeria for several decades. The efforts made by government and the people of the State to mitigate the menace have been found wanting in many respects, including the lack of environmentally-oriented programmes. The purpose of this study was to identify and authenticate, through an empirical/participatory process involving residents in Aba North and Aba South Local Government Areas of Aba City (the study area) in Abia State, the causes and effects of pluvial flooding in the city, as well as the Environmental Adult Education (EAE) programmes needed to mitigate the causes and the effects. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. Three Research Questions and a null hypothesis provided the guide. The population for the study was made up of 2,816 adult residents in Aba out of which a sample of 282 (10%) was selected (154 from Aba North and 128 from Aba South) through the proportionate random sampling technique. Percentages, means, standard deviation and the t-test were the statistical methods adopted. Based on the responses obtained through a questionnaire, five causes and seven effects of pluvial flooding in Aba were authenticated. Five comprehensive EAE programmes were equally identified and confirmed by the resident respondents as needed for mitigation of pluvial flooding in Aba. Appropriate recommendations on the expert development and provision of the needed EAE programmes have been made by the researchers.

Keywords: Environmental Adult Education, Mitigation, participatory study., pluvial flooding

Transport Pooling As a Mitigating Strategy for Carbon Dioxide (Co2) Emission (Published)

This study determined the nature of relationship between the volume of CO₂ liberated per passenger kilometre travelled by Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) that have large carrying capacity and those that have low carrying capacity in Kisumu City using observation with a view of reducing the amount of CO₂ liberated by PSVs (matatus). The study particularly sought to reduce the emission of CO₂ into the atmosphere as a result of burning fossil fuel. The study was conceived as a result of the uncontrolled thriving and congestion of the 14-seater public service vehicles commonly called “Nissan Matatu” in Kenya. Over the years, transport pooling has been seen in the light of economizing fuel usage. Due to the global increase in the number of motor vehicles in urban setting, pooling shifted and was seen as a strategy to reduce congestion. The burning of fossil fuels releases CO₂ which is a greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. This study sought to quantify the extent of fuel consumption in relation to the seating capacity of the PSV by determining on the average the quantities of fuel burnt by different capacities of the PSVs. Pearson Product-Moment correlation coefficient showed a relationship of -.917 between the volumes of CO₂ liberated per passenger kilometre travelled in large carrying capacity and low carrying capacity passenger transportation. This study concluded that the 14-seater PSVs emit twice as much volume of CO₂ as the pooled PSVs and recommended the implementation of policies aimed at reducing the usage of the 14-seater PSVs.

Keywords: Carbon Dioxide, Emission, Mitigation, Nissan Matatu, Transport Pooling

REVIEW OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS EFFECT ON NIGERIA ECOSYSTEM (Published)

This paper examines the issue of climate change and its impact on the environment. The effects of man’s activities as well as those of natural phenomena on global warming, climate change and the environment are presented and discussed. The options that are available as response to global warming: mitigation, adaptation and possible human suffering as consequences of what cannot be avoided by mitigation and adaptation are presented. An overview of the Nigerian environment, preparedness for the impact of global warming and related problems are also presented. The status of environmental data and the need for environmental baseline survey and the creation of a comprehensive database for the country driven by geographical information system are presented and discussed. The paper then underscores the need for governments at all levels to adequately fund geo information production and cultivate the culture of its usage for adequate and proactive response to global warming, sustainable environmental management and national development.

Keywords: Adaptation, Climate Change, Mitigation, environmental management., global warming