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Human Environment Interaction

Human Environment Interaction. Niger Delta-a region that contains most of Nigeria’s oil. In 2000, there was an explosion & fire spread along 1 mile of the pipeline. This accident cost thousands of lives & major environmental ruin in the region. . Sahel means “shore of the desert” in Arabic.

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Human Environment Interaction

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  1. Human Environment Interaction

  2. Niger Delta-a region that contains most of Nigeria’s oil. • In 2000, there was an explosion & fire spread along 1 mile of the pipeline. • This accident cost thousands of lives & major environmental ruin in the region.

  3. Sahel means “shore of the desert” in Arabic. • The Sahel is a narrow band of dry grassland that runs east to west along the southern edge of the Sahara. • People use the Sahel for farming & herding.

  4. Since the 1960s, the desert has spread into the Sahel. • This shift of desert is called desertification. Desertification is an expansion of dry conditions into moist areas that are next to deserts.

  5. Living in the Sahel

  6. Several human activities increase the pace of desertification. • Overgrazing of vegetation by livestock exposes the soil. • Animals also trample the soil, making it more vulnerable to erosion.

  7. Farming also increases the pace of desertification. • Farmers clear land, expose soil to wind, can cause erosion. • When farmers drill for water to irrigate, put stress on the Sahel. • Drilling & irrigation increase salt levels in the soil, which prevent the growth of vegetation.

  8. Increasing population levels are an indirect cause of desertification. • More people=more food. More food=more farming.

  9. Discovery of oil in Nigeria in 1956 • Drilling for oil, the Nigerian government & foreign oil companies have often damaged the land & harmed the people living in the Niger delta.

  10. Nigeria is the 6th leading oil exporter in the world. • 2 million barrels are extracted each day & much of it is shipped to the U.S.

  11. During the 1970s, high oil prices made Nigeria one of the wealthiest nations in Africa. • The government borrowed heavily against the future sale of its oil. • BUT, prices fell & the Nigerian government owed millions to other nations, including the U.S.

  12. Mismanagement, poor planning, corruption, & a decline in oil prices left Nigeria poorer than before the oil boom.

  13. Damage by the oil companies & the Nigerian government has been severe. • 4,000 oil spills over the past 4 decades. • Cleanup operations are slow/non-existent.

  14. Fires often result, causing acid rain & soot. • People in the region have contracted respiratory diseases.

  15. Many of the explosions were not accidents but caused intentionally. • Bandits, in cooperation with corrupt government officials & the military, drain fuel from the pipelines & then resell it.

  16. Egypt faces environmental challenges caused by water. • Egyptians tried to control the floodwaters of the Nile throughout history. • Egyptians built the 1st Aswan Dam in 1902.

  17. Four miles upriver from the 1st Aswan Dam, the Egyptians cut a huge channel through the land beside the Nile River. • The builders used the rocks from the channel as a base for their new creation—the Aswan High Dam, which was completed in 1970.

  18. Lake Nasser, which Egypt shares with Sudan, is the artificial lake created behind the dam. • It stretches nearly 300 miles!

  19. The dam gives farmers a regular supply of water. • It holds the Nile’s floodwaters, releasing them as needed so that farmers can use the water effectively for irrigation.

  20. As a result of the dam, farmers can have 2 or 3 harvests per year. • The dam has increased Egypt’s farmable land by 50%. • The dam has also helped Egypt avoid droughts & floods.

  21. Problems With the Dam • During the dam’s construction, many people had to be relocated. • The dam decreased the fertility of the soil around the Nile. • The river no longer deposits its rich silt or sediment on the farmland. • Farmers must now rely on expensive fertilizers to enrich the soil.

  22. Rates of malaria & other diseases have increased due to greater numbers of mosquitoes, which thrive on the still waters of Lake Nasser & the irrigation canals.

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