Evidence of Climate and Environmental Change in Nigeria: Synthesis from the Driving Force, Pressure, State, Impact and Response (DPSIR) Framework

Abstract

This review employs the DPSIR framework to synthesise evidence of climate and environmental change in Nigeria. The study identified population, political, social, economic, and technological dynamics as the major drivers of human activities with indicators being land-use, water-use, and energy-use dynamics. . Land-use and water-use, for example, which involve direct exploitation of land resources, result in landcover dynamics. The rate, extent, and magnitude of human activities are the proximate or direct factors that exert pressure on the environment, particularly loss of vegetation cover and thus CO₂ and other GHG sinks, whereas energy-use results in increased CO₂ and other GHG emissions. This double tragedy is a direct contributor to climate and environmental change. Total energy consumption has increased in Nigeria, where both spatial and temporal variations in air temperature distribution have been observed, with the trend revealing that mean temperature has shown a rise of about 1.2^oC along the coastal cities and 2^oC in extreme northern Nigeria. The observable state and trends of the Nigerian environment include an increase in temperature and an increase in extreme weather events. Droughts and desertification have persisted, as has the frequency, amount, duration, and intensity of rainfall, as well as changes in landuse/landcover. As a result, 70-80 percent of Nigeria's original forest has vanished. As the area of Lake Chad has shrunk, an increasing number of fauna (primates) and flora biodiversity are threatened or endangered. Crop and livestock productivity declines or is lost, as are rural livelihoods, infrastructure, tourist potentials, the agro-based manufacturing sector, the energy sector, and increased food insecurity. The current state and trend of climate and environmental change in Nigeria has prompted responses, mitigation, and adaptation in order to increase resilience, adaptive capacity, or reduce vulnerabilities and risk.

Keywords: Climate change, Environmental change, Greenhouse gases, Flooding, Land cover

DOI: 10.7176/JEES/11-7-05

Publication date:July 31^st 2021