Environmental polution in the Gulf of Guinea - a regional approach

This chapter reports on the results of the pilot project Water Pollution Control and Biodiversity Conservation in the Gulf of Guinea Large Marine Ecosystem (LME), funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). It is divided into three sections. The first section gives the results of an assessment of the socio-economic circumstances that are the root causes of the environmental pollution problems. The second section presents the results of the assessment of the state of pollution in the natural ecosystems of the coastal zone, as well as a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the land-based sources of pollution. The final section assesses the institutional constraints related to control of environmental pollution, and suggests management options for resolving them

Environmental pollution in the Gulf of Guinea - a regional approach

Environmental pollution in the Gulf of Guinea (GOG) coastal zone has caused eutrophication and oxygen depletion in the lagoon systems, particularly around the urban centres, resulting in decreased fish (reproduction) levels and waterborne diseases. A pollution sources assessment was undertaken by six countries in the region as a first step in defining a region-wide Environmental Management Plan. Results show that households produce 90% of solid waste. Industry, however, is responsible for substantial amounts of hazardous waste, specifically the Nigerian petroleum industry. The latter is also responsible for the spilling of large amounts of oil. BOD load from industrial effluents is slightly larger than domestic loads in the industrialised coastal zone. Wastewater treatment systems are either absent or inadequate. Apart from large-scale gas flaring in Nigeria, air pollution, in terms of COx, HC,NOx and SO2 emissions, is contributed mainly by traffic. Particulates, originate mainly from industries and domestic biomass burning