WILBERFORCE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES (WJSS)
ISSN: 2504 – 9232
Volume 1, No. 1, March 2016
Pages 44-53
DOI: 10.36108/wjss/6102.10.0140
DEFORESTATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE NIGER DELTA: EXAMINING THE ROLE OF ENERGY POVERTY
ALLISON TIMIPERE FELIX
&
OLANSHILE AKINTOLA
Abstract
Mainstream analyses of causal factors of climate change in the Niger Delta are dominated by arguments on oil industry-related climate-unfriendly causes (oil spills from facility failure and gas flaring), and community actions (facility sabotage, oil theft, illegal refining, and timber logging). While these arguments are valid, they overlook the place of energy poverty and how it contributes to climate change. Households in the region’s mostly rural and riverine areas with no access to energy for their basic daily energy needs continue to rely on the rainforests and mangrove forests for their energy supplies. The continuous exploitation of trees and undergrowth for energy results in gradual and steady depletion of the forests and change in climatic conditions. Depleting forest areas means less forest cover and easy discharge of dangerous gases into the atmosphere. With efforts ongoing to tackle climate change in the Niger Delta, this paper seeks to spotlight the energy challenge by asking key questions: How successful can these efforts be if the prevalent energy poverty in the region is not addressed? Is deforestation for energy purposes receiving as much attention as other climate change concerns in the region?
Keywords: Energy Poverty; Climate Change; Deforestation; Fuel Wood Consumption; Biomass; Renewables.