Conceptualising sustainable future landscapes : a case study with communities of the oil and gas exploration region Nigeria

PhD ThesisThe Federal government of Nigeria has undertaken social intervention programmes in the oil and gas exploration Region since 1960 producing an average of one programme each decade to address the underdevelopment of the Region. This underdevelopment appears to be as a result of the devastating effects of the oil spills and gas flaring in the Region. This has affected community wellbeing and connection with the landscape as over 94% are small communities in rural landscapes. The result is loss of livelihood, social disintegration and disruption of economic activities locally and nationally. The most recent government intervention programme is the Niger Delta Regional Development Master Plan (NDRDMP) of 2006 with the goal of sustainable development of the Region. This thesis therefore aligns with the argument that spatial planning is the critical sector to examine, as the problem of the Niger Delta Region is presently predominantly that of landscape degradation. Landscape planning is essential in planning for sustainability; to improve the quality of the environment at the community level it aspires for quality environments. But what vision should guide landscape planning and the future landscape change of the Region? A review of the relevant literature indicates that emerging theories view the landscape as a holistic representation of the interaction between human and natural processes and a need for transdisciplinary planning. The thesis supports this view and argues for creating a future landscape vision with the communities who live and work the landscape of the Region. Hence an empirical study of types of communities that define the Region was conducted. Using an interpretivist theoretical perspective and guided by questions posed by the Carl Steinitz Framework Model of 1990 (revised 1995; 2012) a case study approach and a variety of data collection tools appropriate to demographic groupings were employed. The findings provided insights from an analysis of the narratives of different demographic groups on the community landscape representations. Four landscape types were identified as well as various political and economic impacts on the landscape. Oil and gas exploration activities were seen not always to be the direct driver of the cultural landscape changes. The thesis demonstrated that engaging the community can help to identify the different drivers of landscape change relating to each landscape type examined. It also outlined possible change drivers for future landscapes. An implication for landscape planning is the importance in considering how future landscapes can be effectively conceptualised in a situation where the community landscapes are predominantly small and in rural settings.Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Nigeri

Evolutionary Trends in the Landscape of Hausa Open Spaces: Key Enablers of Habe City Planning Mythology

This study took the ‘origin-pattern-function’ of landscape progression as the central theoretical framework and conducted a systematic study on the evolution of open-space landscape patterns in Habe cities, situated between the river Niger and the river Benue in northern Nigeria. This study aimed to explore the embedded landscape cosmology in Hausaland and the origins of its historic mythology. A descriptive research and review approach was adopted, to explain and interpret prevailing practices, existing circumstances, attitudes, reasons, and on-going processes. It unveils the planning of open spaces and houses according to an ancient cosmology that organized towns during the Habe Hausa Dynasty. The open spaces appear to be a sphere of convergent and divergent forces that maintain a delicate balance, whereas the outcrop hills of central Hausaland are domicile places with religious appeal and better defensibility. Further, the physical effects of Islamic influence are visible in the landscape of Hausa cities, such as locating a mosque in the heart of the city as well spatial expressions of the practice of the seclusion of women. The study also revealed that the concept of triple outdoor space in the landscape of Habe cities is identical with that of the traditional Hausa family dwellings enclosed by a compound wall with a gate. This paper presents the key enablers of the Hausa cities’ transformation into commercial, administrative, religious, and agricultural centers. It recommends that in the event of landscape development without certain public guidelines or natural practices, complicated mediation measures should be invoked if disorder is not to prevail. It finally seeks a comprehensive application of local practices and innovative methods with the aim of averting vulnerability of urbanization

Evolutionary Trends in the Landscape of Hausa Open Spaces: Key Enablers of Habe City Planning Mythology

This study took the ‘origin-pattern-function’ of landscape progression as the central theoretical framework and conducted a systematic study on the evolution of open-space landscape patterns in Habe cities, situated between the river Niger and the river Benue in northern Nigeria. This study aimed to explore the embedded landscape cosmology in Hausaland and the origins of its historic mythology. A descriptive research and review approach was adopted, to explain and interpret prevailing practices, existing circumstances, attitudes, reasons, and on-going processes. It unveils the planning of open spaces and houses according to an ancient cosmology that organized towns during the Habe Hausa Dynasty. The open spaces appear to be a sphere of convergent and divergent forces that maintain a delicate balance, whereas the outcrop hills of central Hausaland are domicile places with religious appeal and better defensibility. Further, the physical effects of Islamic influence are visible in the landscape of Hausa cities, such as locating a mosque in the heart of the city as well spatial expressions of the practice of the seclusion of women. The study also revealed that the concept of triple outdoor space in the landscape of Habe cities is identical with that of the traditional Hausa family dwellings enclosed by a compound wall with a gate. This paper presents the key enablers of the Hausa cities’ transformation into commercial, administrative, religious, and agricultural centers. It recommends that in the event of landscape development without certain public guidelines or natural practices, complicated mediation measures should be invoked if disorder is not to prevail. It finally seeks a comprehensive application of local practices and innovative methods with the aim of averting vulnerability of urbanization

Community adaptation to climate in open spaces of the semi-arid region of Northern Nigeria

Open areas are used for socio-cultural displays, recreation, and religious festivities in semi-arid areas. Desertification has severe impacts not just on agricultural land, but also on open spaces. The menace of land degradation necessitates the development of adaptation strategies by local communities as coping mechanisms. However, adaptation efforts will be difficult to sustain if they are not supported by viable long-term adaptation plans or structures. Through field observation and in-depth interviews with community heads of five communities in the Batagarawa local government area of Katsina State and the use of ATLAS Ti for data processing, Indigenous knowledge was shown to be critical in the development of several adaptation options and strategies for community open spaces. The study recommends the establishment of an adaptation framework for the sustainability of open spaces by incorporating indigenous knowledge. The findings of this study will aid in developing contextual policies that consider local nuances