Thesis Abstract

Abstract
Rivers State, located in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, faces significant environmental challenges that are impacting its ecosystems and the well-being of its residents. This research project aims to assess the current state of the environment in Rivers State, focusing on key issues such as water pollution, deforestation, biodiversity loss, and climate change. The study will utilize a combination of field surveys, data analysis, and stakeholder interviews to gather information on the extent and impact of environmental degradation in the state. Water pollution, primarily caused by oil spills from the extensive oil and gas activities in the region, is a major concern that will be investigated in detail. The effects of pollution on water quality, aquatic life, and human health will be assessed to understand the full scope of the problem. Deforestation is another critical issue in Rivers State, driven by factors such as urbanization, agricultural expansion, and illegal logging. The research will examine the rate of deforestation, its impact on biodiversity and ecosystem services, and the effectiveness of current conservation efforts. Strategies for sustainable forest management and restoration will also be explored. Biodiversity loss is a growing threat in Rivers State, with habitats such as mangroves, forests, and wetlands being rapidly degraded. The study will identify key species at risk and evaluate the implications of biodiversity decline for ecosystem resilience and human livelihoods. Conservation strategies, including protected areas and community-based initiatives, will be analyzed for their effectiveness and potential for scaling up. Climate change is exacerbating existing environmental challenges in Rivers State, leading to more frequent flooding, erosion, and other extreme weather events. The research will assess the vulnerability of the state to climate impacts, identify adaptation measures being implemented, and recommend additional strategies to enhance resilience. Overall, this project aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the environmental challenges facing Rivers State and propose evidence-based solutions to mitigate these issues. By engaging with local communities, government agencies, and other stakeholders, the research seeks to raise awareness, build capacity, and foster collaboration for sustainable environmental management in the state.

Thesis Overview

Environmental issues are meant to be operationalized through the formulation of actor-specific environmental actions plans, which define priority action that will convert strategy into practice. The Environmental Planning and Management (EPM) process which is an increasingly popularized cans of solving the myriads of problems afflicting the environmental in contemporary world.

The study examines the use of Environmental Planning and Management (EPM) process as a strategy of solving environmental problems in Bonny Island, Rivers State, Nigeria by investigating the perception of the general public on the state of the environment in the area, level of participation of people in compliance to existing environmental strategies, causes of ineffective environmental management in the area and assessing community satisfaction with existing environmental management approach using well structured questionnaires administered to sampled households

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Questions were related to socio-economic characteristics of households, willingness to participate by the community in the EPM process, perceived level of environmental degradation in the area, level of compliance of oil and gas companies to environmental laws and the role of Government environment protection agencies in protecting the environment of the study area.

The results confirm that the level of damage from oil exploration, gas activities, pollution and pipeline vandalizations is chronic and cumulative, which has resulted to the degradation of the environment, routine of facilities and compliancy to environmental management approaches are not regular, facilities and equipment were found be grossly inadequate therefore proper inspection can not be well carried out, the community expressed dissatisfaction with the existing environment approach which they attributed to the inability of fully implementing the environmental approach, the community indicated that given the opportunity they are willing to particimendations were made for the effective and efficient application of the EPM process in the study area.