Climate Change and Erasure of Heritage in Ayetoro, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State: Rethinking Ecocide

This paper investigates how climate change has contributed to heritage loss in Ayetoro, a coastal community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria, more specifically, how ecocide and failure to manage this effectively interact. This paper set out to understand how sea level rise, coastline recession, and ineffective adaptation solutions have helped erase the cultural, social, and economic heritage in Ayetoro, all the while reconsidering ecocide as an ecological and governance problem. A descriptive cross-sectional study was also employed whereby a number of 150 respondents was used in the study through purposive and stratified random sampling methodology in order to capture the required gender, age and occupational stratums. Primary data were obtained using semi structured questionnaires, key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Quantitative responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the qualitative narratives used thematic content analysis. These findings indicate that more than 80% of the respondents had lost their property as well as the property belonging to their ancestors or cultural items due to coastal erosion directly. The most widespread livelihood that of fishing, was described to have drastically been affected by flooding and water intrusion. The socio-demographic report indicated that the youth between the ages of 18 and 35 years were more affected as they planned to migrate yet the old highlighted that the loss of tradition and sacred areas due to the erosion could not be reversed. The accounts of ecocide pointed towards governance shortages, especially with respect to poor policy, inadequate infrastructure, and an insufficient regard to community consultation. The paper concludes that the erasure of the heritage in Ayetoro is twofold in that they are one of climate change and another one institutional less regard. It advises urgent multi-stakeholder measures to adapt to climatic changes, follow-up on investment in strengthening coastal protection, and incorporate ecocide as part of the legal and environmental governance system in Nigeria to ensure the protection of people and heritage.