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The Niger delta region of Nigeria is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, supporting a wide array of unique and important plants and animals. The ecosystem is important for the different services it provides, such as agriculture, industry, fishing, food, drinking water, wood, shelter, medicine, employment, and esthetics. Petroleum production in the region is a major environmental issue, which impacts on the sustainable provision of these ecosystem services (ES), particularly among the resource-dependent poor communities. There is a paucity of information on the key drivers, including soil and coastal erosion, flooding, air and water pollution, gas flaring, and climate change. These problems occur at different gradients and variations in space and time that is not well understood. Mapping and modeling are important for the understanding of these drivers, including risks and trends over time. There are now different tools and methods for assessing ecosystem health across diverse landscapes, which include the use of remote sensing and geographical information systems, ecological models, participatory approaches, and expert opinion. Ecological models such as Ecosim with Ecopath, IMPACT, PODIUM, WaterGAP, and EcoServ-GIS are simplified mathematical expression of the complex interactions between the physical, biological, and socioeconomic elements of the ecosystems. Mapping and modeling of ES would enable evaluation of costs and benefits of various ES and provide useful information for decision makers for proper planning.
Climate change incorporation in environmental assessment is a growing research area, particularly following the Paris agreement. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is considered in many quarters to be an important tool in factoring climate-related components in the planning and design of a project. However, many recent researches have shown that EIA has, so far, struggled in the attempt to incorporate climate change into its procedures. This study is an attempt to evaluate the level of consideration of climate change in the EIA process in Nigeria, with particular focus on the Niger Delta region. The result of this quantitative research shows that there is a poor political will to address climate change, as reflected in the absence of climate change requirements in the EIA guidelines of Nigeria. Although, there is a growing trend in the pattern of consideration of climate change in the EIA procedures, the overall level of consideration is still a far cry from the requirements if EIA is to be considered to be an important tool in addressing challenges of climate change in Nigeria.