Recent Niger Delta shoreline response to Niger River hydrology: Conflict between forces of Nature and Humans

Assessing first‐order BQART estimates for ancient source‐to‐sink mass budget calculations

“…Values are compiled for the pre-dam (if available) lowest available river reach conducted in each study. Dataset based on Smith (1986), Kesel et al (1992), Antonelli et al (2008), Vericat and Batalla (2006), Dada et al (2018), Amos et al (2004), Dunne et al (1998), Babinski (2005), Cantalice et al (2013), Turowski et al (2010), Bidorn et al (2015) and Lisimenka and Kubicki (2019). Blue and yellow points indicate if the sampled locations are within a mountainous or lowterrain region, respectfully, based on the distribution of modern sedimentary basins 50% compared to a low uncertainty in B, R and T model (gray line in Figure 9).…”

Spatial and Temporal Variations in Shoreline Changes of the Niger Delta during 1986–2019

“…The random delta coastline change established in the previous studies may be indicative of a delta under the influence of natural process dynamics rather than one that had transitioned into an anthropogenically disturbed state [13,16]. For instance, in previous attempts to correlate the Niger delta coastline dynamics with river basin fluvial discharges (e.g., [27,28]), it was contended that observed fluctuations in the fluvial discharge from the Niger River during the previous decades were mainly influenced by the corresponding periodic hydroclimatic variabilities rather than by increasing anthropogenic pressures. Current delta coastline behaviour, it would appear, has yet to respond to any sediment-starvation scenario as previously suggested [34,35].…”

“…Orthorectified multispectral satellite data from Landsat for the years 1986, 1999, 2003, 2008, and 2011, as well as Sentinel 2 images for 2015 and 2019, were downloaded via the USGS Earth Explorer repository. An initial reconnaissance survey of available satellite data for the study site revealed a total absence/incompleteness of satellite images during The Niger delta coast is a cyclone and storm-free environment, mainly influenced by south-westerly winds and swell waves that originate in the storm centres within the Atlantic Ocean [28,40]. The delta region on average (1998-2007 period) receives ~2300 mm/year of rain with an actual evapotranspiration of ~600 mm/year [41].…”

“…Within the Niger delta region and the source Niger River basin, anthropogenic pressures relating to oil and gas extraction and dam construction have been on the rise over the past half-century since the delta became the key economic hotspot of the West African country of Nigeria. Previously, the coupled relationship between the delta shoreline dynamics and trends of fluvial discharge from the Niger River basin was examined [27,28] while the influence of the changing wave climate on the delta's coastline behaviour has also been investigated [29,30]. Attempts have also been made to examine the spatio-temporal variation of the delta coastline dynamics during recent decades using readily accessible satellite data [31,32].…”

Possible Increases in Floodable Areas Due to Climate Change: The Case Study of Calabria (Italy)

“…These events, in addition to average sea level rise, can cause coastal erosion [38][39][40][41] and coastal flooding phenomena [42][43][44][45][46]. Additionally, the significant increase in anthropogenic pressures observed in the second half of the last century [47][48][49][50][51][52][53] have caused an increase in impermeable surfaces, with negative consequences on vulnerability of territories under the action of climate change and natural events, especially in the case of concurrent events [54][55][56][57][58].…”