Environmental
degradation has become important global issues since the 1970s, when the world
countries and international community became aware of the negative consequences
of over-exploitation of the human environment. Environmental degradation in
most rural areas in Nigeria has increased over the years and both human
activities and natural disasters have contributed to this problem (Titiola
1998; Girigiri 2000).

Prominent
environmental degradation found in most rural communities include –
deforestation, loss of biodiversity, loss of soil fertility, leaching of the
soil, land degradation, land and water pollution, desertification, flood,
drought, and erosions. The oil companies have been blamed as the perpetrators
of environmental degradation in this region due to overexploitation of the
crude oil deposits and gas flaring. Be it as it may, complete evaluation of
environmental degradation should consider the part other factors such as
poverty and inefficient resource use in agriculture have played in limiting
achievement of effective environmental protection and management in poverty
prone communities.

The environment affects
our health in a variety of ways. The interaction between human health and the
environment has been extensively studied and environmental risks have been proven
to significantly impact human health, either directly by exposing people to
harmful agents, or indirectly, by disrupting life-sustaining ecosystems (Remoundou and
Koundouri, 2009).

Environmental
degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of
natural resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems
and the extinction of wildlife. It is any change or disturbance to the
environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable. Environmental
degradation is one of the Ten Threats officially cautioned by the High Level
Threat Panel of the United Nations.
The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster
Reductiondefines
environmental degradation as “The reduction of the capacity of the environment to
meet social and ecological objectives, and needs”.

The primary cause of
environmental degradation is human disturbance. The degree of the environmental
impact varies with the cause, the habitat, and the plants and animals that
inhabit it. Humans and their activities are a major source of environmental degradation.
Worldwide the greatest effects on the health of individuals and populations
result from environmental degradation and social injustice. The two operate in
consort.

(Martin Donohoe, 2003).
Causes include overpopulation, air and water pollution, deforestation, global
warming, unsustainable agricultural and fishing practices, overconsumption (affluenza)
misdistribution of wealth, the rise of the corporation, the Third World debt
crisis, and militarization and wars.

Mining is also a
destructive development activity where ecology suffers at the altar of economy.
Scientific mining operations accompanied by ecological restoration and
regeneration of mined wastelands and judicious use of geological resources,
with search for eco-friendly substitutes and alternatives must provide
sensational revelation to the impact of mining on human ecosystem (Singh and Chauhan,
2010).

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM