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The Niger Delta Region of Nigeria: Borders the Atlantic Ocean, and has vast expanse
of Mangrove vegetation cover.
INTEGRATIVE HIGHLAND TO OCEAN ACTION FOR
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The Niger Delta Region of Nigeria:
Beneficial Ocean Actions:
-Generates lots of oxygen for the area
- Captures heat generated
- Serves as Carbon sink.
- Ecosystem Capital
The ocean is critical in reducing global greenhouse gas and stabilizing the
earth’s climate.
Increasing green-house gas emissions have caused warming and acidifying of sea water,
increasingly limiting the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide.
INTEGRATIVE HIGHLAND TO OCEAN ACTION FOR
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The Niger Delta Region of Nigeria:
Beneficial Mangrove Vegetation Actions:
-Sequester carbon dioxide
- Mitigate adverse effects of climate change
- Rich in carbon (in its biomass and the chikoko)
- Supports healthy fisheries and improve water quality.
- Provide coastal protection against flood and storms
- Ecosystem capital
INTEGRATIVE HIGHLAND TO OCEAN ACTION FOR
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The Niger Delta Region of Nigeria:
INTEGRATIVE HIGHLAND TO OCEAN ACTION FOR
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The Niger Delta Region of Nigeria:
Climate change adverse effects experienced:
- Massive urban flooding occasioned by torrential rainfall
- Inundation of some communities
- Loss of sources of livelihood (farms, plantations, markets,)
- Loss of human lives especially in Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers
states.
- Apprehension among citizens
- Abandonment of homelands and emigration
INTEGRATIVE HIGHLAND TO OCEAN ACTION FOR
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The Niger Delta Region of Nigeria:
INTEGRATIVE HIGHLAND TO OCEAN ACTION FOR
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The Niger Delta Region of Nigeria:
Human Actions Aggravating Climate Change Adverse Effects:
-Oil and gas exploration and production activities especially gas flaring and spillage.
- Deforestation from Oil and Gas activities, dredging, construction, etc.
- Unregulated marine transport and fishing activities
-Poor waste management in coastal areas resulting in Marine Litter
- Lack of awareness among communities on the need for mangrove conservation
- Unregulated groundwater abstraction leading to salt water intrusion
The combination of these activities acting simultaneously in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria aggravate the
adverse effects of climate change and the attendant consequences. Despite the presence of vast Mangrove
vegetation and the bordering Atlantic Ocean.
INTEGRATIVE HIGHLAND TO OCEAN ACTION FOR
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The Niger Delta Region of Nigeria:
INTEGRATIVE HIGHLAND TO OCEAN ACTION FOR
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The Niger Delta Region of Nigeria:
Massive mangrove vegetation clearance for oil and gas, dredging, and construction
activities.
INTEGRATIVE HIGHLAND TO OCEAN ACTION FOR
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The Niger Delta Region of Nigeria:
Collective Actions to Stemming Further Disappearance of the Niger Delta,
and Enhancing Adaptive and Climate Change Resilient Living:
In addition to encouraging stopping of gas flaring, mitigating against oil spills, mangrove
conservation and restoration through carbon credit markets, promoting economic
incentives to mangrove areas dwellers such as a source of local income from mangrove
protection, enlightenment for sustainable use of mangrove and restoration activities etc.;
there should also be the following actions:
INTEGRATIVE HIGHLAND TO OCEAN ACTION FOR
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Communities in the Niger-Delta should be made to accept responsibility and be accountable for
projects enacted for climate change adaptation and resilient living. Communities in the past
view projects for climate change adaptation as only belonging to government, or other
developmental organisations. The communities should also make inputs at the early stages on
how they can participate and own climate change adaptation and resilient living projects,
provide local knowledge.
Conscious and compassionate (Hearts and Minds) effort to conserve the Niger Delta for the
sustenance of all, and not just policies for pacifying and sustaining economic and financial gains.
Continuous stakeholders Engagement Plan by governments for climate change adaptation
and living. And not waiting until disaster happens before actions are hurriedly planned for
execution. That might be late and costly
Early warning systems should be provided within the Niger Delta area to intimate residents
of imminent adverse effects of climate change, especially flooding and increased ambient
temperature.
INTEGRATIVE HIGHLAND TO OCEAN ACTION FOR
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Continuous stakeholders Engagement (especially with communities) Efforts by
ACCARD
