Community efforts bring new life to the Niger Delta's mangrove forests, integral to regional biodiversity and coastal protection.
These ecosystems, so important to biodiversity and for serving in the protection of coasts, suffered massive destruction due to human activities, first and foremost from the oil industry.
However, a group of locals is taking matters into their own hands to reverse this.
Community Effort for Ecological Recovery (Photo : KADIATOU SAKHO/AFP via Getty Images)
The residents of Bundu, a sprawling slum on the outskirts of Port Harcourt, are set onto the muddy banks of the Niger Delta to don their rain boots and get out their shovels for a purpose.
They are part of a grassroots movement to restore mangrove forests, a natural barrier to the tides, and home to a considerable variety of wildlife.
The project, spearheaded by local fisherman David Oba, has turned out the combined effort of some 10,000 townspeople.
Battling Oil Pollution and Environmental Degradation
Nigeria is home to one of the largest mangrove forests in the world, although it is getting smaller.
From 1996 to 2020, there were about 161.9 square kilometers of mangrove forest.
The primary cause of the massive loss of flora in this area is pollution from oil spills caused by frequent breaches in the pipeline caused by inadequate maintenance and acts of vandalism.
Helped by the Nigerian non-governmental group Centre for Environment, Human Rights, and Development, the restoration has enunciated its desirable objective: training local leaders and villagers in restorative techniques.
Thus, it becomes a project to empower the local population and restore the mangroves while simultaneously taking action to protect the environment for the coming generations.
What Other Ecosystems Does Oil Pollution Affecting?
Not all mangrove ecosystems are affected by oil contamination; a variety of ecosystems can be impacted. Other people who have been similarly impacted by oil spills include:
Marine Ecosystems:
The genuine damages from oil spills at sea include coral reefs, seagrass beds, and deep-sea habitats. The oil can smother marine life, reduce light penetration, and introduce toxic substances into the food chain.
Coastal Wetlands:
Extremely productive saltwater marshes that support a diverse range of species are also affected by oil pollution, killing plants and animals. It changes nutrient cycling and may cause erosion.
Freshwater Ecosystems:
They can even reach into rivers, lakes, and streams. The toxins from such spills can poison aquatic plants and animals, while the oil changes the reproductive cycles of fish and amphibians.
Terrestrial Ecosystems:
Oil spillage onto land alongside an oil spill near a land area can also be harmed by oil brought to land by rainwater. Soil contamination causes flora changes as the flow carries on to aquifers.
Arctic and Subarctic Ecosystems:
These fragile environments are unusually exposed to oil spills because oil degrades more slowly in cold temperatures, which further contributes to the lengthening of the wildlife exposure period.
The impacts of oil pollution on these ecosystems can be quite immediate and devastatingly serious, but they may have long-term effects, with some effects persisting even for decades. Cleanup and restorations are necessary but may be cumbersome and difficult to achieve in time.
In a nutshell, the restoration of mangrove forests in Nigeria is much more than another campaign for environmental protection; it exemplifies the resilience and sheer will of the people of Nigeria. When they restore their mangroves, they do so with the hope that one day it will be possible to live in a green, sustainable world.
