Mapping Impacts of Crude Oil theft and Illegal Refineries on Mangrove of the Niger Delta of Nigeria with Remote Sensing Technology

Abstract

Niger Delta is the oil rich region of Nigeria where extensive mangrove form one of the most important ecosystems of coastal and marine areas. It is a fragile ecosystem rich in biodiversity. The mangrove is exposed to the activities of crude oil bunkering and illegal refinery. This study aims at mapping the impacts of the crude oil theft and illegal refineries on the creeks and mangroves of the Niger Delta.Worldview-2 2013 satellite image was processed using supervised classification methods and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Oil on the waterways covering estimated area of 9.2 km2 and stressed mangrove vegetation covering estimated area of 37.6 km2 were detected. Result of NDVI shows positive correlation with photosynthetic activities as areas with stressed vegetation around the illegal refineries had low vegetation index of -0.39 while areas with healthier vegetation had higher index of 0.55. Since illegal refineries and crude oil theft is rampant in the region, the paper recommends a regional study of the state of the mangrove in the Niger Delta.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n3p150