Impacts of Mangrove Loss on Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Abstract

The mangrove vegetation within the Niger Delta region of Nigeria is ravaged by anthropogenic practices including but not limited to rapid urbanization, aquaculture expansion and oil exploration which penultimately distorts the biodiversity of both the mangrove and marine environments, culminating in the loss of structural and functional integrity of these ecosystems, specifically their role in climate change regulation. The study aimed at assessing the changes in mangrove covers from 1987 to 2022 in the study area as well as examining the changes in GHGs emissions resulting from the mangrove changes. The methodology adopted a remote sensing-based research design utilizing satellite imagery to analyze temporal changes in mangrove cover and evaluated their association with climate variables such as CO2 emissions and LST of the study area. Each satellite image geo-referenced in ArcGIS 10.8 & LULC changes calculated using geometry module of ArcGIS 10.8. NDIR spectroscopy was used in examining the variation in GHGs emissions. The data obtained revealed mangrove reduction from 12,991 km2 in 1987 to 9,089km2 in 2022 resulting in the loss of 3,904.00 km2 of mangrove forest. The reduction resulted in increased CO₂ emissions from 370.70 ppm to 403.29 ppm between 1987 and 2022. These results illustrate a clear link between mangrove cover change and CO₂ emissions, highlighting the critical role mangroves play in regulating climate change. The study was able to show that significant losses in mangrove cover have been closely associated with increased CO₂ emissions, thus reflecting the vital role these ecosystems play in carbon sequestration which underscores the importance of preserving these vital ecosystems to mitigate local and global climate impacts.