No More Shade: Deforestation and Rural-Urban Migration in Nigeria

<p>Some of the most well-documented motivating factors of migration in Nigeria include education, employment opportunities, and cultural conflicts. However, as the deforestation crisis has not improved and Nigeria has maintained its spot as the country with the most deforestation on Earth, access to critical forest resources may be in danger. In light of this crisis, this paper attempts to determine if deforestation has become a new motivating factor for migration as those in rural communities seek other avenues of obtaining those vital resources. Subsequently, Nigeria is also experiencing a housing crisis within its rapidly growing urban centers; obtaining and keeping adequate housing is becoming more difficult as reproduction rates increase, life expectancies lengthen, and infrastructure development falls behind. Rural-urban migration rates are increasing and putting added pressure on Nigeria’s urban housing sector. Garnering a better understanding of migration motivations is now critical to mitigating these negative effects. This paper attempts to determine if deforestation is a motivating factor of migration and if so, whether the implementation of regulatory environmental policies would be effective at addressing both crises. Focusing on the year 2010 and using a quantitative analysis of statistical data via OLS linear and multiple regression methods, I conclude that deforestation is a motivating factor for some individuals and communities, but there is not yet an aggregate trend strong enough to support an environmental policy joint solution.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters Thesis

Year dc:date.available

2021

Author dc:creator

• Sims, Kambre

Contributors dc:contributor

• Marek Steedman
• Mark Brockway
• Robert Press

• nigeria
• deforestation
• migration
• rural
• urban
• policy
• African Studies
• Comparative Politics
• Development Studies
• Environmental Policy
• Environmental Studies
• Nature and Society Relations
• Remote Sensing
• Social Statistics
• Urban Studies and Planning

Repository record dc:identifier

https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/816

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:aquila.usm.edu:masters_theses-1875