ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION.  A CASE STUDY OF WARRI SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF DELTA STATE

Abstract

This study was on assessment of public health risks associated with oil and gas production. Using Warri South local government area of Delta state as a case study. Three objectives were raised which included: To find out the perceptions and lived experiences of the villagers of Warri South local government regarding the effect of oil and gas pollution on their physical health, to find out the perceptions and lives experiences of the villagers of Warri south local government regarding the possible effect of oil and gas pollution on their mental health and to find out the effect of oil and gas pollution on the environment of Warri South local government. The total population for the study is 75 selected residents in Warri South local government area of Delta state. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies. The study recommended that in the event of an oil spill, trained individuals should be available to help contain the spread of the effects, regardless of whether the spill occurs in a developed nation or an undeveloped one. Slow responses result in environmental degradation that may be impossible to reverse

Chapter one

Introduction

1.1Background of the study

Nigeria is the largest oil producer in Africa and the eleventh largest producer of crude oil in the world. Prospecting and extraction of petroleum occur in over 50% of the Niger Delta region, resulting in a cornucopia of access roads, pipelines, wells, gas flaring, dredged spoils and flow stations that are often located near homes, schools, farms, and within communities. Oil spills are common throughout the area, as a consequence of pipeline corrosion, poor maintenance of infrastructure, spills or leaks at the well heads, human error, theft of oil and intentional vandalism (Nriagu , 2011) The amount of oil that is spilled in the Niger delta is unknown. A report by (Jernelov, 2010) estimated that the total spillage was between 9 and 13 million barrels over 50 years roughly 1.5 million tons per year, equivalent to one Exxon-Valdez spill annually for half a century. The collective impacts of these pervasive massive spills on the environment and local inhabitants are worsened by seasonal floods which transfer the oil pollution to farmlands and occupied areas. Currently, hundreds of thousands of people who live in the Niger delta are being exposed to oil contamination near their homes, farm lands, fishing grounds and in their drinking water and foods but the consequences of such exposure on their health are unknown (Gill D.A., Picou, 2012) 

Most of the human studies in the Niger Delta have been focused on the caustic relationship between the oil pollution and poverty in the region and the social tension between the people and the oil companies. Although health problems are cited in these studies to support the contention that concern for a clean environment is a reason for community-industry conflicts, there have been few systematic health studies to back up such claims. Reliable information on the effects of oil pollution on the physiological health of people in the Niger Delta is very limited (reviewed by Nriagu; Ordinioha and Brisibe, 2013), and even less is known about the psychological effects of living with such environmental adversity. The first goal of this study is to determine the prevalence and correlates of two health outcome measures (namely, functional capacity limitation and health symptoms) and emotional distress (environmental worry, environmental annoyance and environmental intolerance) in an area of the Niger Delta where oil pollution is rampant. The second goal is to explore the perception of environmental risks by the local population and its influence on the emotional distress. The third goal is focused on how the relationships between exposure to oil pollution and the health outcome measures are mediated by: (i) risk perception; and (ii) emotional distress in the study population. The interrelations between oil pollution, perceived risks of the pollution, emotional distress, physical activity limitations and health symptoms have not been studied previously in the oil polluted communities of Nigeria or other countries. This study with a large sample size has the statistical power to provide meaningful inferences from the results. A better understanding of the influencing factors on health outcome measures from exposure to oil is important in developing intervention strategies to minimize the psychopathological ill health in oil-producing areas of the country

The effects of large accidental oil spills on the environment and human health have been extensively studied in different parts of the world (reviewed by Aguilera et al 2010 ). These industrial disasters are invariably marked by identifiable endpoints followed by the recovery phase and the period after an oil spill is usually followed by concerted effort by external agencies, volunteers and residents working together to clean up the environment, rebuild the community and support individuals. By contrast, oil pollution in the Niger Delta is an ongoing chronic disaster and an environmental adversity with no end in sight, and entails little or no support for communities and individuals that are affected. The chronic nature of the oil pollution and its associated environmental and social impacts may have an insidious impact on one’s physical health (sustained systemic toxicity by oil-related contaminants) and mental health (such as increased risk for high levels of distress) which are different from those of discrete traumatic events. A goal of this study is to develop new instruments for assessment of public health risks associated with oil and gas production.  A case study of Warri south local government area of Delta State

Statement of the problem

The problems that I explored in this study were the detrimental physical and mental health consequences of environmental degradation among human communities in Warri south local government area of Delta State

. As the demand for oil continues to increase throughout the world, greed fuels its discovery and extraction, despite the environmental or human health implications. The literature on the effects of oil discovery, extraction, and transport in the Niger Delta has focused on environmental consequences few researchers have studied health implications. Most of the available research pertaining to the effects on human health from oil accidents is limited to developed regions of the world, where regulations and fast, effective cleanup measures offer local residents far more protection against the dangers of oil pollution. Through this study, I addressed the gap in the literature, provided a foundation for future research on the health consequences of oil pollution in the Niger Delta, and drew attention to the problem. Further, the study gave a voice to the marginalized inhabitants of the Niger Delta through the exploration of the physical and mental health consequences of oil pollution, as perceived by Warri South local government.

Objective of the study

The objective of the study is to ascertain the public health risks associated with oil and gas production Warri South local government. The specific objectives are;

1. To find out the perceptions and lived experiences of the villagers of Warri South local government regarding the effect of oil and gas pollution on their physical health
2. To find out the perceptions and lives experiences of the villagers of Warri south local government regarding the possible effect of oil and gas pollution on their mental health
3. To find out the effect of oil and gas pollution on the environment of Warri South local government

Research question

The following research questions were formulated;

1. What are the perceptions and lived experiences of the villagers of Warri South local government regarding the effect of oil and gas pollution on their physical health?
2. What are the perceptions and lives experiences of the villagers of Warri south local government regarding the possible effect of oil and gas pollution on their mental health?
3. What is the effect of oil and gas pollution on the environment of Warri South local government?

Research hypotheses

The following research hypotheses will be formulated;

H0: there are no perceptions and lived experiences of the villagers of Warri South local government regarding the effect of oil and gas pollution on their physical health

H1: there are perceptions and lived experiences of the villagers of Warri South local government regarding the effect of oil and gas pollution on their physical health

H0: there are no perceptions and lives experiences of the villagers of Warri south local government regarding the possible effect of oil and gas pollution on their mental health

H2: there are perceptions and lives experiences of the villagers of Warri south local government regarding the possible effect of oil and gas pollution on their mental health

H0: there is no effect of oil and gas pollution on the environment of Warri South local government

H3: there is effect of oil and gas pollution on the environment of Warri South local government

Significance of the study

The study will be very significant to students, Niger Delta and the people of Warri South local government. The study will give a clear insight on the assessment of public health risks associated with oil and gas production. The study will educate about the health consequences of oil and gas production to environment. It will also discuss the adverse effect of oil and gas production and what to be done to curb with it.

 Raising awareness of related health problems may promote further studies in Warri South local government and lead to better health care access for the villagers. Data from this phenomenological investigation highlighted potential health consequences, through the perceptions and lived experiences of an understudied population. Villagers reported health problems that they believe are related to oil pollution; the results of this investigation could put pressure on stakeholders, such as the government and oil companies, to assist villagers through the provision of health care access, environmental cleanup, or the enforcement of policies to reduce oil pollution. The implications for positive social change from the study include gaining a better understanding of the health consequences of oil-related pollution faced by Warri South local government villagers, improving villagers’ quality of and access to health care, and placing pressure on oil companies and government entities to assist with cleanup, policies, and health care provisions. This research also provided opportunities for the marginalized people of Warri South local government a group largely ignored by the rest of the developed world to make their experiences with oil-related pollution known. Data gathered from this research may also force oil-consuming individuals and groups around the globe to recognize the destruction caused by oil companies and the government entities responsible for overseeing oil drilling in the Niger Delta. The study will also serve as a reference to other researcher that will embark on the related topic

Scope of the study

The scope of the study covers assessment of public health risks associated with oil and gas production. The study will be limited to Warri South local government of Delta state

Limitation of the study

Limitations/constraints are inevitable in carrying out a research work of this nature. However, in the course of this research, the following constraints were encountered thus:

1. Non-availability of enough resources (finance): A work of this nature is very tasking financially, money had to be spent at various stages of the research such resources which may aid proper carrying out of the study were not adequately available.

Time factor: The time used in carrying out the research work is relatively not enough to bring the best information out of it. However, I hope that the little that is contained in this study will go a long way in solving many greater problems.

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