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Nigeria's Freshwater Needs Urgent Protection #AfricaClimateCrisis

In Nigeria, various environmental pressures have jeopardised freshwater biodiversity in recent years. Undisturbed freshwater systems have become scarce, as human activity has destroyed many rivers, lakes, and streams, writes Emmanuel O. Akindele for The Conversation.

Studies have found that the animals in Nigeria's freshwater ecosystems are mostly species that indicate low or moderate water quality. In the waters studied, there are fewer species that indicate excellent water quality. Larvae of non-biting midges, soldier flies, and hoverflies are examples of species that indicate poor water quality. But biological indicators of excellent water quality, such as mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies, are frequently underrepresented.

The absence of well-organized management at the locations foreshadows a serious threat to these exceptional freshwater systems. There are already symptoms of uncontrolled human activity such as deforestation and tourist garbage dumping, albeit on a small scale. Concerned governments should devise ways to protect and conserve these excellent streams. The goal is to identify freshwater habitats of high ecological integrity for conservation before they are spoilt by human activities. Protecting biodiversity will also meet other human needs like tourism, agriculture, and mining, Akindele added.

InFocus

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Arinta Waterfall in Ekiti State.

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