For much of my research I was deeply indebted to Dr Haruna .K. Ayuba, a Professor and Dr .A. Dami both of university of Maiduguri Department of Geography.


Introduction


Environmental problem in the Northern Nigeria generally comes under two conflicting classes namely: i. Those associated with the geographical location of the region such as drought, desertification, deforestation, erosion, amongst others, and ii. Problems caused by activities aimed at economic development such as urban waste, mining activities, irrigation projects, construction projects, e.t.c. The combined effect of population growth, urbanization, industrialization and poverty has been that the environmental problem in this region are growing and becoming more difficult resolve.


Northern Nigeria is one of the most threatened land areas of the country. The region was largely within the semi-arid zone, which is recognized as dynamic ecosystem as a result of highly variable and unpredictable rainfall, overgrazing, seasonal fire and other anthropogenic influences. In addition, poverty, increase population growth and the poor resource endowments makes it difficult to find solution to those problems without comprehensive policy changes and public enlightenment programmes.


Some of those environmental problems are highly interactive and interlinked with health, water supply, nutrition, poverty, unemployment, and poor agricultural productivity that adhoc and sectoral solution may not work. Successive governments in the region have tried to solve environmental problems in the past by compartmentalizating them into segment thereby breaking the interconnecting links. More so, the interdependence of natural cycles and natural processes have often been discounted in the urges to improve the economic standard and therefore long-term issues are neglected at the cost short-term gains. This chapter highlights some of the major environmental problems in Northern Nigeria and examines issue of concern to the region in particular and to the country at large.


MAJOR ENVIROMENTAL PROBLEMS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA


1. DESERTIFICATION :

The United Nation Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED,1992) define desertification as land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities. Desertification is now recognized in the arid and semi-arid zones of the world as a major threat to ecologically productive systems. The area affected include the arid land (200-250mm annual rainfall) and semi-arid lands (250-800mm) representing more than 30 million square kilometers (20%) of the earth’s surface (Grainger, 1982). It is estimated that Nigeria is losing about 351,000sq,km to desert representing 38% of its total landmass, which corresponded to the landmass of the desert threatened frontline state of the country (Borno, Bauchi, Yobe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto,and Kebbi States). It is estimated that more than 30 million people in Nigeria live under the hardship of desertification (UNSO, 1989). Following Dregnes (1983) classification, the level of desertification in the Northern Nigeria range from moderate to severe as one move northwards. The major causes of desertification are group into two: physical or natural factors and anthropogenic factors. The physical factors comprises of rainfall, variability, drought and aridity. Those factors either individually or in conjunction with one another lead to the destruction of the biological potential of land. The anthropogenic factor on the other hand, include socio-economic activities that directly or indirectly induce desertification. Those are deforestation, excessive cultivation and grazing, bush burning, mining, e.t.c. The increasing human and livestock population in the region accelerate this problem there by placing more demand on the already fragile ecosystem.


The system of the desertification in the region include decline in the land productivity, progressive lost vegetation cover, general lack of fuel wood, decrease in surface and ground water resources, excessive evaporation malnutrition and southward and migration of man and animals. Other geomorphological indicators are shifting sand dunes into agriculture fields, roads and homesteads. All local government areas in Northern Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Yobe, and Sokoto States have discernible symptoms of desertification.


2. Drought :

One of the most significant climatic variations has been the persistent decline in rainfall in Northern Nigeria since the late 1960s (Mortimore, 1989). The persistent drying trent has caused concern among development planners regarding how to cope with losses of food production, episodes of food insecurity, displacement of populations, declining water resources and constraints on hydro-electricity. Drought connotes a condition of insufficient precipitation and soil moisture within a given ecosystem. Four types maybe identified: meteorological ,hydrological, ecological and agricultural droughts. Metrological drought is the delay in rainfall expectation or concentration of rainfall within a few month as against the long –term normal rainfall regions . Hydrological drought is the decline in underground water level. Ecological drought is the abnormal decrease in rainfall amount that causes inbalance in a given ecosystem. Agricultural drought refers to inadequate or too little moisture at specific stages of plant growth. All types of drought have been experienced in North Nigeria (Mortimore, 1918.). The manifestation included withering of vegetation and crops, dehydration or death of animals, low river discharge and retreating levels of the lake Chad and other water bodies.


During the 1983 and 1986 drought ,the lake Chad’s water level had fallen below 239m. River Yobe completely dried up thus leaving the irrigation scheme base on it unproductive (Ibrahim, 2003). There were losses in crop production and livestock population. For example during the 1983 drought , about 1447512 tonnes of crops and 9.8m livestock were lost in the former Borno state (Now Borno and Yobe states). This can affect the regional or national capacity to supply food for the country. Also many villages around Kaska, Yusufari, Yunusari, geidam and damasak had to migrate owing to crop failure, famine, diseases , and general talk of water consequent upon the drought.


3. Deforestation÷

Deforestation is the indiscriminate felling of trees with little or no effort at replacement. Olofin (1993) observed that drought , desertification, and deforestation have more in common than the letter ‘d’……….they are the three dare- devils that constitute an ending nightmare to an environment conservationist. They merge to produce another dreaded ‘d’- degradation. Deforestation is a serious environment problem in Northern Nigeria even though afforestation continues to be a priority of successive governments . It is estimated that about 90-95% of the rural household and 85-90% of the urban household in the region using firewood ( Odo et al, 2002; odili,2003). The estimated rate of deforestation in Borno and Yobe state for example, ranges from 4.6 X 103 tonnes/ yr to 19.6 X 103 tonnes/yr (Odili 2002). Most of the area gazette as forest reserve have become de facto open access areas. The study by Ayuba et al (2002) for the borno state revealed that out of nine many major forest reserves, six have witnessed 60-90% degradation due to encroachment by farmers.


The major causes of deforestation include demand for fuelwood, overgrazing, construction project, poor effort to forest regeneration in term of inputs and investments, increase in human population and urbanization. Deforestation is a complex problem that is also intricately linked to poverty, illiteracy and underdevelopment. The consequences can manifest in several form such as erosion, fuelwood scarcity, sedimentation, drought and changes in microclimate.


Baba Ali Mustapha is with the Department for Planning, Research and Statistics, Ministry of Environment, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.

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