Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Invasion of officially reserved nature conservation area
as a nature's genetic reservoirs due to lack of sufficient fund
to manage and protect them might result in loss of biolog-
ical diversity. Under the pressures of hunting, logging,
agriculture, and fishing, forest and marine habitats are being
destroyed and some of the wildlife is being driven to
extinction.
• There is also a need to transform and present acceptable
nature-based tourism products and services to national
and international markets.
• Ecotourism development strategy should fall within the
new array of 'green' products and services.
Conclusion
Solution
The Niger Delta is characterized by semidiurnal tidal
regimes with tidal amplitude of about 1.2 m and higher ebb
flow velocities than flood flow. The geomorphic unit has 21
major river mouths/tidal inlets that intersect the coast,
breaking it up into a series of barrier islands, 16 of which
are within the arcuate delta region. This natural delta
receives its sediments, which mainly comprise medium to
coarse unconsolidated sands, silt, clay, shale, and peat, from
the suspended and traction loads of the Niger and Benue
Rivers and their tributaries. The salinity intrusion within the
Niger Delta depends strongly on the spatial extent of the
diurnal tidal range within the region, which diminishes
inland (Abam 1999 ) with more inundation in the western
and arcuate delta part of the delta. Niger Delta could be a
major tourist attraction because of its rich cultural, historic,
landscape, and ecological interest and vast areas that could
take advantage of the growing worldwide demand for sus-
tainable ecotourism at the communal level, if well managed.
Ecotourism development in the Niger Delta region should
therefore be plan to combine environmental responsibility
with the generation of local economic benefits that will have
both a development impact and serve as conservation
incentives. Such plan should be people oriented, encom-
passing a range of activities such as community-based
management of coastal resources and large-scale infra-
structure development (ports, industrial and residential
parks, etc.) and assist in organizing integrated coastal area
management (ICAM) at regional level with detailed plan
preparation, implementation, and management process
without compromising the socioeconomic development.
Making ecotourism a positive economic and environmental
tool requires policies that foster responsible nature tourism
development, broad-based and active local participation,
and conservation of the natural heritage. This is necessary in
order to properly regulate and manage as well as protect the
environment and cultural heritage from overbuilding of
tourist facilities and influx of populations around fragile
ecosystems (Mowforth and Munt 2009 ).
Raising local awareness about the value of biological
resources, increasing local participation in the benefits of
biodiversity conservation (through new sources of jobs and
incomes), and generating revenues toward conservation of
biologically rich areas is also necessary. This will enhance
total participatory involvement of all stakeholders in the
sustainable ecotourism development of the region.
Identifying and mobilizing funding for potential private
nature tourism investments and formulation of fiscal poli-
cies to promote nature tourism and to maximize its eco-
nomic and environmental benefits is indispensable.
Encouraging international exchange of information and
know-how about nature tourism opportunities and opera-
tions, through technical and management training, to meet
the needs and interests of international and domestic nature
tourists is necessary for good practices.
There is need to monitor and certify the performance of
ecotourism activities toward promoting ''green tourism''.
This entails promoting environmentally responsible tourist
operations that conserve energy, recycle waste, and proper
adherent to regulated rules and policies guiding the parks
and protected areas usage.
In addition, sustainability principles must also be incor-
porated in all nature-based tourism activities with a detailed
pricing policy designed for ecosystem-based services.
References
Abam TKS (1999) Impact of dams on the hydrology of the Niger
Delta. Bull Eng Geol Environ 57(3):239-251
Abam TKS (2001) Regional hydrological research perspectives in the
Niger Delta. Hydrol Sci 46(1):13-25
Antia VI, Emeka NC, Ntekim EEU, Amah AE ( 2012) Grain size
distribution and flow measurements in qua-Iboe river estuary and
calabar tidal river S. E. Nigeria. Eur J Sci Res 67(2):223-239
Asuquo FE (1998) Physicochemical characteristics and anthropogenic
pollution of the surface water of Calabar River, Nigeria. Glob J
Pure Appl Sci 5:595-600
Expected Outcome of Ecotourism Strategy
for the Niger Delta Region
• The strategy must be designed to suit the current national
and
international
development
agenda
and
priorities
without destructive effects.
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