GAS FLARING AND CLIMATE CHANGE: IMPACT ON NIGER DELTA COMMUNITIES

Igbokwe Clement Chimezie

Abstract


Axiomatically, gas flaring has been a recurrent problem in the Niger Delta, with devastating effects on the environment. Many rural and urban communities are exposed all year round to the black soot (black rain), air pollution, the corrosion of zinc and other environmental hazards that result from gas flaring. Furthermore, the low lying communities of Bonny, Ogoniland and some other Niger Delta communities are particularly vulnerable to flooding, displacement and other disasters that may result from climate change. Nigeria is ranked 7th on the list of countries involved in gas flaring around the world. About half of this gas is flared by Shell Petroleum Development Company. This paper examines the impact and implications of gas flaring in Nigeria's Niger Delta region, and considers how the environmental and health risks associated with the oil and gas industry can best be addressed. Following the UNDP Niger Delta Human Development Report and other recent accounts, this study highlights the adverse health and environmental impact of gas flaring and other activities associated with the extraction of oil and gas in the Niger Delta.

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