PROBLEM : Deforestation as a Result of Oil Exploration and Transportation.

The continuous search, exploration and transportation of crude oil and other natural resources in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria continues to endanger the forest reserve of the region which affects the ecosystem of the country drastically. The existence of oil in almost half the land mass of the region in which forest areas are included is seen as a blessing to the region and to the country due to the unavoidable importance of the resources around the globe, but during the search for this natural resources other natural resource especially forest trees and animals are being displaced from there natural habitat. For easy exploration when this oil is found, forest reserves are also disturbed. During the transportation of the explored oil many forest resources are being displaced during laying of pipelines and also as a result of pipeline vandalization which result to oil spillage. This deforestation of the Niger Delta region affects the global biodiversity because there are some plants and animals species which are only found in the region and if this deforestation leads them to extinction it will affect there future importance and also alters the taxonomic classification of the species

SOLUTION ;Practicing Afforestation and Reforestation

The massive deforestation of Niger Delta region by oil search, exploration, transportation and other activities have caused a lot of problems for various people, animals and government agencies that rely on the forest resources for food, shelter and income. To solve this problem all Governmental, Non Governmental agencies, Oil companies and Individuals dwelling in the region should be encouraged to practice afforestation in areas where forest have not existed before and Reforestation in areas where the forest have been tampered with or destroyed by one activity or the other. Afforestation is planting seeds or trees to make a forest on land which has not been a forest recently, or which has never been a forest. Reforestation is the reestablishment of a forest after removal, for example from a timber harvest. Practicing afforestaion in the Niger Delta region will help to minimize many problems the region is facing environmentally and economically. Afforestation will help the region in many ways, first it will help correct the many problems deforestation have caused in the region, it will also be source of employment for people working in forest reserves and institutes, it will also help to checkmate erosion which is also affecting the region, it will also provide natural habitat for forest inhabitants and it will also be source of foreign exchange and tourism for the government.