| NIGER DELTA, home to 20 million people and 40 | | | | region. Along with the inefficiency of gas flaring, |
| different ethnic groups, this floodplain makes up 7.5% | | | | another problem gas flaring poses is the release of |
| of Nigeria's total land mass. It is often called THE | | | | large amounts of methane, which has very high global |
| LAND OF MONEY. Niger Delta is the largest wetland | | | | warming potential. Areas like Eket and it' environs in |
| and maintains the third-largest drainage basin in Africa. | | | | Akwa Ibom State are already importing drinking |
| Its environment can be broken down into four | | | | water from neighbouring communities, Port-Harcourt, |
| ecological zones: coastal barrier islands, mangrove | | | | Bayelsa, Delta, etc are dying of the numerous |
| swamp forests, freshwater swamps, and lowland | | | | environmental pollution. Dispite these harmful |
| rainforests. This wonderfully well-endowed | | | | environmental impacts, the Federal Government and |
| environment, contains one of the highest | | | | the oil industy are carelessness about the situation, |
| concentrations of biodiversity on the planet. The area | | | | which is the causes of the popular militancy, killings, |
| is facing serious environmental pollution due to the | | | | vandalism, shortage and irregular supply of oil, crime |
| extraction and processing of crude oil. Some of these | | | | and general unrest Nigeria and the dependent nations |
| problems are oil spills, water, air, land and noise | | | | for Nigeria's oil are facing today. With the poisoning of |
| pollution. Research as shown that the region could | | | | the waters of this country and the destruction of |
| experience a loss of 41% of its inhabitable terrain in | | | | vegetation and agricultural land by oil spills which occur |
| the next thirty years as a result of extensive | | | | during petroleum operations, one can conclude that |
| environmental degradation and dam construction in | | | | PART OF THE WORLD IS DYING RAPIDLY |
| the region. | | | | Note: Climate Change is a threat to we, the people |
| Already the region is facing the impact of the | | | | of the earth. Therefore, we must come together to |
| environmental problems which include acid rain, | | | | proffer potential/sustainable solutions to the problems |
| destruction and migration of fishies, infatile farm land, | | | | of our environment. |
| lack o clean-drinking water, no good air, noise | | | | By Okon E. |
| pollution. Gas flaring is also a major problem in this | | | | |