Economic Value Potentials of the Niger Delta Mangrove Ecosystem, and Decline in Rural Livelihood Arising from Unsustainable Exploitations

The Niger Delta mangrove is an extensive ecosystem that supplies various goods and provides ecological services. They are thus very important ecologically, economically, and socially as they harbour a wide range of aquatic and land-based flora and fauna, in addition to a number of ecosystem services that improve livelihood and the wellbeing of humans. The potential benefits derivable from these goods and services constitute the economic value potentials of the mangrove ecosystem. The Niger Delta mangrove ecosystem is a vital wetland area that encompasses diverse ecological zones, each with a unique stock of goods and services but has faced significant threats from anthropogenic activities, resulting in depletions that have created so many declines in livelihood activities, which beyond the economic considerations attached to the said various anthropogenic activities in the mangrove ecosystem, has led to the loss of economic values resulting from the attendant environmental degradation and therefore requires urgent attentions. Two zonal areas were selected for the study in Bayelsa State and Rivers State in the Nigeria’s Niger Delta. Investigations indicated a significant decline in the Rivers Zonal area than the Bayelsa State area because of the activities of illegal refining of crude petroleum in the Rivers State area. It is thus recommended by this study for the regular environmental audit through environmental valuations to initiate action plans for conservations.