Climate change, environmental security and displacement in Nigeria: Experience from the Niger Delta Flood Disaster, 2012

摘要

The coastal regions of Africa are prone to series of environmental disasters arising from vulnerability of climate change. The October 7th and November 3rd, 2012 coastal floods in the Niger Delta region Nigeria, provides an evidence of the persistence and inevitability of climate change vulnerability which has been an issue of global concern with potential for havoc on human existence including environmental security, displacement and their far reaching consequences. Using primary and secondary data sources, the paper foreshadows the imminent dangers of climate change vulnerability. It deployed a participatory methodology through focused group discussions (FGDs), questionnaires and oral interview guide as primary data sources. While secondary data sources included relevant authoritative reports from National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), UNDP, UNEP, newspapers, magazines and documents published by governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). The sampling technique was largely purposive due in part to the sensitivity of the issues investigated. Two open-ended questionnaires were used to elicit two types of information on coastal flood, environmental security and displacement within the purposively selected areas of study namely; Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States. The findings suggest that the 2012 flooding negatively affected the region with evidence of displacement, out migration, impoverishment, food production decline, etc. The paper made some policy recommendations on mitigation of climate change vulnerability.