Niger Delta Human Development Report - UNDP Nigeria - United ...

THE HISTORY OF ENVIRONMEN-
TAL MANAGEMENT IN THE
NIGER DELTA
Attempts at environmental management in
the Niger Delta, as in Nigeria as a whole,
date back to the colonial era. Two major
environmental issues attracted the attention
of the colonial administration: forest
conservation and flood control. In line with
the colonial administration’s forest policy,
some nature reserves were created in parts
of the delta in order to protect the
ecosystem and its biodiversity. All the nature
reserves in the delta region today have their
Table 3.3: List of Protected Areas in the Niger Delta States
Name State
Kwale Edo
Orle River Edo
Cross River National Bank Cross River
Okomu Edo
Becheve Cross River
Gilli-Gilli Edo
Ifon Ondo
Afi River Forest Reserve Cross River
Upper Orashi forest Rivers
Biseni Forests Rivers
Akaassa Forests Bayelsa
Ebok-Boje Forests Cross River
Itu Wetlands and Swallow Forest Akwa Ibom
Lower Orashi Rivers
Andoni Game Sanctuary Rivers
Edumaron Bayelsa
Ikebiri Creek Bayelsa
Nun Creek Bayelsa
Nun River Bayelsa
Egredi Creek Bayelsa
Uremure-Yorkri Delta
Ebue Edo
Sapoba Edo
Obaretin Edo
Uronigbe Edo
Ofosu Edo/Ondo
Ehor Edo
Cross River Estuary and Mangrove Forest Reserve CRS
Akure Ondo
Owo Forests (Ifon, Ogbesse, Little Osse) Ondo
Olague Delta
Idanre Ondo
Source: ERML survey 2005.
origins in the colonial period (see table 3.3).
Most of the present nature reserves are
remnants of what they used to be. Poor
monitoring and management in the past led
to widespread encroachment and illegal
harvesting of natural products. In the last
two decades, however, a concerted effort
has been made to rehabilitate and develop
the reserves. These initiatives can be
sustained only by raising people’s awareness
of the need for natural resource
conservation and environmental
protection, and by making the local people
the chief beneficiaries of conservation
programmes in their localities.
90 NIGER DELTA HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT