Environmental Awareness and Resilience among Internally Displaced Populations in North-East Nigeria: A Qualitative Assessment

Ima kashim

PDF

Section

Research Articles

Issue

Volume 1 Issue 1 (2025): In Progress

How to Cite

kashim, I. (2025). Environmental Awareness and Resilience among Internally Displaced Populations in North-East Nigeria: A Qualitative Assessment. Crisis and Resilience, 1(1), 50-59. https://journals.explorerpress.com/index.php/cr/article/view/48

Authors

Ima kashim

Faculty of Public Health, Texila American University/ Central University of Nicaragua

Abstract

Nigeria’s North-East region, located within the Sahel ecological belt, faces a dual burden of prolonged conflict and environmental degradation. Recurrent droughts, deforestation, desertification, and water scarcity have intensified human displacement and undermined recovery efforts. Understanding the environmental awareness of internally displaced persons (IDPs) is critical for shaping sustainable resilience strategies.This qualitative study assessed environmental awareness among IDPs in Borno and Taraba States, examining how perceptions of environmental change influence displacement and adaptation. Twelve Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted across four camps—Teachers’ Village and MOGCOLIS in Borno, and Shawuya and Howai–Mile Six in Taraba—comprising adult men, women, and community leaders. Transcribed data were thematically analyzed using the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) domains of water, forestry, air, energy, and agriculture. Ethical approvals were obtained from state authorities. Findings reveal variable but practical environmental awareness among participants. In Taraba, respondents linked displacement to flooding, river pollution, and declining soil fertility, while in Borno, conflict and insecurity remained dominant, though participants recognized changing rainfall and erosion patterns. Camps faced severe environmental challenges, including inadequate sanitation, deforestation for firewood, open defecation, and solid-fuel dependence. Awareness of government or NGO environmental initiatives was limited, yet IDPs exhibited strong experiential understanding of resource depletion and its health implications. Integrating environmental education into humanitarian programs—through clean-energy adoption, tree-planting, waste segregation, and “green camp” management—can enhance health, adaptation, and resilience. Strengthened intersectoral coordination between humanitarian and environmental agencies is proposed.

Keywords:

Environmental awareness, internally displaced persons, North-East Nigeria, Sahel, resilience, Environmental Performance Index (EPI), qualitative study

References

[1]United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Sahel Environmental Outlook: Vulnerability and Resilience in a Changing Climate. Nairobi: UNEP, 2020. Available: https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/31091

[2]World Bank, The Sahel Adaptive Resilience Program Annual Report 2022. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group, 2022. Available: https://documents.worldbank.org

[3]U. T. Okpara, A. P. Stringer, and D. J. Dougill, “Climate–Conflict Interactions in the Lake Chad Basin,” Environmental Research Letters, vol. 14, no. 11, p. 114007, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab467a

[4]International Organization for Migration (IOM), Nigeria Displacement Tracking Matrix Report 2023. Abuja: IOM, 2023. Available: https://dtm.iom.int/nigeria

[5]United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), Nigeria Humanitarian Needs Overview 2022. Geneva: UNOCHA, 2022. Available: https://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria

[6]F. Ogunleye, “Environmental Sustainability in Nigeria: The ‘Awareness’ Imperative,” African Issues, vol. 31–32, pp. 35–48, 2003–2004. https://doi.org/10.2307/1167084

[7]T. O. Adewuyi and A. Musa, “Environmental Displacement and Livelihood Vulnerability in North-East Nigeria,” Journal of African Environmental Studies, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 14–28, 2021. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5789432

[8]I. Niang, O. C. Ruppel, M. A. Abdrabo, A. Essel, C. Lennard, and J. Padgham, “Climate Change and the Sahel: Regional Projections and Adaptation Pathways,” African Climate Review, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 1–25, 2022. Available: https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org

[9]Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Sixth Assessment Report: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. H.-O. Pörtner et al. (Eds.), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009325844

[10]Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy and Columbia University Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), 2018 Environmental Performance Index. New Haven, CT: Yale University, 2018. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.32675.12322

[11]V. Braun and V. Clarke, “Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology,” Qualitative Research in Psychology, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 77–101, 2006. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

[12]World Health Organization (WHO), Climate Change and Human Health: Risks and Responses. A. J. McMichael, D. H. Campbell-Lendrum, C. F. Corvalán, K. L. Ebi, A. Githeko, J. D. Scheraga, and A. Woodward (Eds.). Geneva: WHO, 2009. Available: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9241590815

[13]L. H. Gunderson and C. S. Holling, Panarchy: Understanding Transformations in Human and Natural Systems. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2002. ISBN: 9781559638579

[14]United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Human Development Report 2021–2022: Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives—Shaping Our Future in a Transforming World. New York: UNDP, 2022. Available: https://hdr.undp.org

[15]United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023. New York: United Nations, 2023. https://doi.org/10.18356/9789213588490

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Article Sidebar