CLIMATE CHANGE DYNAMICS AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISK PATHWAYS IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Climate change represents a systemic global environmental risk with disproportionate impacts on vulnerable coastal regions. This study examines the interaction between global climate drivers and localized anthropogenic stressors in Rivers State, Nigeria, a hydrocarbon-dependent and low-lying coastal region of the Niger Delta. Using a structured qualitative review approach, the study synthesizes peer-reviewed literature, institutional climate reports, and regional environmental assessments to analyze climate-induced impacts on water resources, soils, sediments, and air quality. The analysis distinguishes between primary climatic drivers (temperature rise, rainfall variability, sea-level rise, extreme weather events) and secondary anthropogenic pressures (gas flaring, illegal refining, oil spills, deforestation, urban expansion). Findings indicate that climate change functions as a risk multiplier, amplifying pre-existing environmental vulnerabilities through identifiable causal pathways including salinity intrusion, sediment remobilization, soil degradation, and atmospheric pollution intensification. The study contributes to sub-national climate risk scholarship by integrating global climate governance frameworks with context-specific adaptation strategies for Rivers State.