TRADITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERIENCES OF THE NIGER DELTA PEOPLE: TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL ORIENTATION IN NIGER DELTA
The environmental degradation experienced in the Niger-Delta is a catastrophic situation distorting the socio-cultural wellbeing of the people. The peaceful and fertile region of Niger-Delta has experienced prevalent environmental degradation over the years resulting from the inordinate exploration of natural resources and a sheer negligence of the environmental impacts of such activities. The Niger-Delta region used to be one of the best deltas in the world, with a clear harmony between the people and the environment, but with advance of civilization, oil exploration and excessive technological impacts, the region has lost its grace. This study employs the method of hermeneutics to interpret the traditional environmental experiences of the people of Niger-Delta in relation to the prevalent environmental crises in the region. It examines the traditional ecological thought of the region and argues for a transition to an eco-friendly environmental orientation to ameliorate the negative consequences of the environmental degradation. The study recommends the adoption an environmental ethics that resonates with the ecological thought of the indigenous people of Niger-Delta to attain a sustainable environmental orientation in the region.
Keywords: delta, environmental, experiences, niger, orientation, people, sustainable, traditional