Abstract
Gas flaring is the burning of crude oil’s associated gas. In Nigeria’s Niger Delta, the flaring process is usually very close to communities and their farmlands and has been implicated in serious environmental degradation of the region. Studies have suggested links between gas flaring and health problems in the communities and others have established relationships between gas flaring and poor agricultural yields. This study explores how the people in the region perceive gas flaring and what their attitudes are toward it. Ubeji town, a community where gas flaring takes place, was selected as a case study. It was found that the residents perceive gas flaring as hazardous to health, environment, and general well-being of the community. Most residents seem to be resigned to the continued presence of gas flaring activities in the community. The study, however, raised several questions on modeling perception and attitudes toward environmental problems in areas where political tension and economic adversity are prevalent.
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Edino, M.O., Nsofor, G.N. & Bombom, L.S. Perceptions and attitudes towards gas flaring in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. Environmentalist 30, 67–75 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10669-009-9244-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10669-009-9244-2