Problem: Soil Contamination Through oil spillage and Pipe line Vandalizing

Soil contamination by crude oil has been a major problem in the Niger Delta region since the day oil was discovered in that region. Soil which is that part of land where plants grow is very vital towards the survival of people living around there. Contamination has various adverse effects on the environment; it reduces the aesthetic, visual and economic value of the soil and also instigates odor pollution. Soil contamination is the reduction in the man’s use of soil by addition of substance into the environment, hence increasing natural concentration, which in turn make that part of the environment very offensive to man and other animals, through man’s activity. During oil exploration and transportation the soil is being contaminated either by leaky tanks, use of metal components, industrial processing, oil spillage and pipeline vandalizing. When this soil got contaminated it becomes infertile and posses treat to human being and other animals’ sustainability and continuity because the plants find it difficult to grow in an infertile land causing food shortage, and when there is no green plant oxygen cannot be produce which is a threat to human life. When the soil is contaminated and becomes infertile it causes other problems like inadequate shelter and erosion control

Solution: Practicing Phytoremediation

Phytoremediation is an integrated multidisciplinary approach to the cleanup of contaminated soils, which combines the discipline of plant physiology, soil chemistry and soil microbiology; metal-accumulator plants are attracting increasing attention because of their potential application in decontaminating polluted soil. Traditional engineering technologies may be too expensive for remediation of contaminated sites. The massive contamination of the Niger Delta environment which have been a major issue to the growth of the region and Nigeria can be controlled by engaging in commercialized phytoremediation. Phytoremediation which simply means the use of plants to reclaim contaminated soil have been proved to be cost effective, hazard free, comprehensive and reliable in reclaiming contaminated soil, this method of making the soil free from contaminants should be recommended for the environmental stability of the Niger Delta because anybody can practice it. When all the governmental body, non-governmental organization, companies and individuals in the region engage in phytoremediation it will go a long way to reclaim the long lost agricultural soil of the region, boost the economy of the country and checkmate violence

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.