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GIS as Information Technology’s Answer to the Environmental Pollution Problem in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria
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2005
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Masaryk University Brno
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The threat to human and sub-human existence is no longer a new piece of information. By the moment, the print and electronic media report cases of environmental pollution and its effects. On the developed side of the globe, the media’s ideas are taken into consideration for prompt action while the developing nations remain unperturbed, not because they do not want to solve the problems but because environmental pollution is given little or no priority. In case of doubt, consider the Niger Delta people of Nigeria whose environment is not as valuable as their oil’s revenue generation to the powers that be.
I believe that the feats being performed by even the developed nations is still a far cry from what can be obtained if we employ the powers of the right tools in combating the global menace, Environmental Pollution.
Information Technology, through the Geographic Information Systems phenomenon, would help prevent, to a reasonable extent, the numerous crises we experience due to environmental pollution. Between February and April 2000, I was privileged to work on the application of Geographic Information Systems to the environmental pollution problem when we had to help the Niger Delta Environmental Survey deal with the environmental problems threatening the existence of terrestrial and aquatic lives in the Niger Delta region.
This paper takes a look into the current situation and introduces the age-long truth that prevention is better than cure. GIS can help monitor, track and prevent the various forms of environmental pollution effects rather than adopt the usual method of solving a problem that has already generated enough chaos. The paper explores Geographic Information Systems as Information Technology’s answer to the environmental pollution problem. It also highlights the action steps that we need to take in other to conquer the global monster. The modules covered include:
• Environmental Pollution
• Global effects and national reactions
• Information Technology in today’s society
• Geographic Information Systems
• Geographic Information Systems and Environmental Pollution
• Action Plan
In the words of Sir Isaac Newton in his Laws of motion, “An object will continue in its state of rest or constant uniform motion unless it is otherwise acted upon by an external force”. In that light, I believe that the situation would only change for the better if we decide to take action now.