ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION AS A THREAT TO HUMAN SECURITY IN URHOBOLAND

Abstract

One of the manifest problems in the contemporary environmental crisis is environmental pollution. Environmental pollution is the injection into the atmosphere, land, or marine bodies of poisonous or unhealthy substances or elements. Some of the negative effects of environmental pollution are that it can lead to health problems, environmental degradation, climate change, degradation of social infrastructure, occupational hazards, and impede human security, which is necessary for people to obtain an optimal good life. While environmental pollution is present in almost every region of the world, there are places where it is common as a result of intensive oil exploitation and other industrial and human activities. One of such regions and places is the Urhoboland of Nigeria’s Niger Delta. Environmental pollution in Urhoboland is precipitated or caused by some of the factors previously listed and many others. It has led to the destruction of biodiversity, and health hazards, and indeed limited the attainment of human security in the region. Through critical hermeneutics and analytic methods, this paper argues for the need to curtail or eradicate environmental pollution in Urhoboland and thus promote human security. The paper reveals that environmental pollution is occurring in Urhoboland and frustrating the attainment of full human security. The paper concludes that if environmental pollution is abated, it will help in promoting human security of the people of Urhoboland. And this can be possible by adopting effective legal and other measures to safeguard the environment and ensure human security.