7. Development Challenges of Multi-Functional Coastal System in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

As coastal populations in Africa continue to grow and pressures on the environment from land-based and marine human activities increase, coastal and marine living resources and their habitats are being lost or damaged in ways that are both decreasing livelihood opportunities and aggravating poverty. Coasts are experiencing the adverse consequences of hazards related to climate and sea level. While physical exposure can significantly influence vulnerability for both human populations and natural systems, a lack of adaptive capacity is often the most important factor that creates a hotspot of human vulnerability. Nigeria’s Niger Delta is widely recognised for its rich and diverse biological resources and these natural systems form the foundation of the economy of the country, from which the majority of the population derive their livelihood. Threatened terrestrial and marine ecosystems translate to threatened livelihoods in Africa. In the Niger Delta of Nigeria exploitation of these non-living resources has damaged the coastal environment and has caused civil conflict. This paper presents the different categories of this system’s coastal resources and highlights the different methods of exploitation and the consequences of these methods. The paper exposes the different challenges of this multi-functional ecosystem of Africa’s most populous country, which also ranks fourth in the world oil producer’s list. It concludes by suggesting various ways of managing this oil-rich environment.