IMPACT OF GAS FLARING ON CLIMATE CHANGE (A CASE STUDY OF NIGER DELTA REGION OF NIGERIA)

Gas flaring is the burning of natural gas and petroleum hydrocarbons in flare stacks by upstream oil companies in oil fields during operations. Gas flaring is the most common source of global warming and contributes to emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen (II) oxide (NO) and methane (CH4) which have the propensity of causing climate change and ecological disturbances or destruction. The study assessed the impact of gas flaring on climate change using both primary and secondary data. The primary data was obtained through administration of one hundred and fifty (150) questionnaires which focused mainly on the impact of gas flaring on farm activities; adaptation to gas flaring effects; farmer’s perception on gas flaring and climate change and crop performance; etc. coupled with intensive fieldwork. The secondary data were gotten by collection of different samples at various proximities from the gas flare locations, measurements and experimentations were meticulously carried out. The data were presented in form of tables showing frequencies and percentages. The result obtained in this research shows a marked trend as all the parameters considered showed a gradient away from the flare point in all the flow stations such as soil pH changing from acidic (4.0-4.2) to near neutral (6.4-6.6) faraway from the flare points and the average low soil moisture content of (17% - 23%) as against 40% for the (50m and 100m) and control distance. These values portray a bad signal for the affected communities. This study recommends that gas flaring should be seen as violet action against the people and that the flared gas should be channeled to meeting the ever increasing demand for energy in the industrial sector of the economy.