Anthropogenic Impacts on Niger River Basin Environment in High Guinea

摘要

Generally speaking, there has been a consensus on the primary drivers of anthropogenically induced environmental degradation. However, little progress has been made in determining the magnitude of these impacts, particularly in developing countries. The aim of this study therefore, is to ascertain, the degree of anthropogenically induced environmental impacts on the Niger river in high Guinea. The results show that only three variables; population, anarchistic exploitation and urbanization were statistically significant and that the regression model accounts for 60% of the variation in the environmental impacts. Moreover, the degradation of water quality is a significant problem for the Niger river in high Guinea. The growth of large cities along the rivera??s banks has not been accompanied by development of wastewater collection and treatment plants, be it for domestic or industrial wastewater. We established, a water sampling protocol for the soil and climate conditions found in high Guinea that would allow us to analyze concentrations (parts billion-1) of trace elements and TSS in the waters of the Niger river. The enrichment factor calculated for these trace elements compared with international standards allows a preliminary estimate of contamination from anthropogenic sources. The primary causes of degradation are to be sought in a strong entropic pressure on the anarchistic exploitation of the renewable and non-renewable natural resources, which have been worsened by the past 25 years of dryness. Mining, fishing, animal husbandry and other aspects of agriculture, appear among the main causes of environmental degradation.