Terrestrial Carbon Stocks in the Niger Delta: Impacts of Petroleum

Exploitation Activities and Prospects for Multiple-Actor Management for

Expanding Forest Carbon AbatementBY FRANCIS S. IKUPONISI

ECO-OUTREACH, PORT HARCOURT

INTRODUCTION• Little attention has been paid to the loss of terrestrial

carbon stocks associated with petroleum exploitation in Nigeria.

• This paper demonstrates that carbon releases associated with loss of terrestrial carbon stocks represent a part of the notable portion of the suite of petroleum associated carbon emissions in the Niger Delta, and evaluates prospects for multiple-actor management for expanding forest carbon abatement.

SURVEY• The impacts of petroleum activities on terrestrial carbon stocks in

the Niger Delta are discussed using a recently commissioned multibillion-dollar integrated oil & gas project as case study (SHELL GBARAN-UBIE IOGP).

• The paper assesses the Project land-use through a review of the statutory public-available project EIA documents;

• The relative carbon densities of the project’s land-take were assessed by overlaying geo-referenced project areas on a recently UNEP-WCMC generated map of Nigeria’s terrestrial carbon stocks.

• The paper analyses current trends in carbon governance and policy frameworks for best practices.

RESULTS• Project land-take/land-use estimates indicate a large project

spatial extent, e.g., over 350km of flowlines/bulklines/pipelines were laid and over 75Ha of Bases.

• The paper determines the project to be located within land areas with some of the highest carbon density classes in Nigeria (158 to 408 ton/Ha).

• The paper indicates that potential carbon releases associated with the project’s forest conversion represent a part of the notable portion of the suite of petroleum associated carbon emissions in the Niger Delta.

TRENCHING FOR PIPELAYING

Trench Excavation

CONCLUSIONThe paper identifies a number of challenges for expanding forest

carbon abatement in the Niger Delta including:• Inadequate national legal and policy framework• A history of inadequate corporate social responsibility within the

Nigerian upstream oil subsector• Documented low level of climate change awareness among Niger

Delta community folks• Inadequate capacity with a significant proportion of National CSO,

and weak national and transnational networks within CC mandated CSO community

• Deflected unanimity on global carbon governance  

The paper recommends a framework of multiple-actor management for Niger Delta terrestrial carbon stocks: This framework include:

• National legal and policy framework• Transnational public policy networks• Corporate voluntary forestry offset programmes• Community-based carbon governance • Civil Society Organisations (CSO) carbon advocacy and

carbon policy monitoring Networks