Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development www.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1700 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2855 (Online) Vol.5, No.15 2014 26 Environmental Management and Sustainable Development in Nigeria’s Niger Delta Kelly Bryan Ovie Ejumudo Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria Florence Ogochukwu Nwador Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara Abstract This study examines environmental management and sustainable development in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The data utilized in this study were obtained from both primary and secondary sources. While the primary data were derived from focus group discussions, the secondary data were obtain from relevant textbooks, journals and other documents. The findings of the study, shows that environmental management policy gaps, poor commitment to the implementation of environmental policies, poor environmental management practices as well as weak development agenda are constraining factors to sustainable development in the Niger Delta. The study made some useful recommendations including development agenda that is environmentally, socially and economically benign and synthetic and integrated environmental management principles and practices that are in tandem with sustainable development. Keywords: Environmental management, sustainable development, Niger Delta, Nigeria. 1.1 Introduction Environmental management has been recognised and accepted globally as critical to sustainable development. This seeming consensus is based on the understanding that the environment is at the heart of development and management is only an instrument and a process that seeks to achieve a fair balance between environment and development on a sustainable basis. Sustainable development that is inextricably linked to the environment was popularized by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WEED) report of 1987 titled “Our Common Future”. The report notably emphasized the inevitability of a new development path is sustainable human progress is to be achieved. This new emphasis led to a focus on topical issues like population, energy, industry, human settlement, quality of life and productive use and effective management of environmental resources. Despite the arguably important link between environmental management and sustainable development, environmental pollution and degradation as well as the many-sided socio-economic and political effects that pose serious challenge to man, the environment and development, have remained topical and of grave concern of governments at different levels, non-governmental organizations, policy analysts and individuals, particularly academics. In Nigeria, environmental management and sustainable development, issues have generated serious concern largely because of policy gaps, lack of political will to enforce environmental policies and poor development agenda. 1.2 Statement of the Problem The advent of oil production in the Niger Delta has led to deforestation and ecological degradation, threatening the renewable natural resources and the ecosystem services in a number of ways. The oil producing areas of the Niger Delta have faced so many environmental problems caused by pollution arising from oil activities such as gas flaring, oil spillage, drill cuttings, drilling mud, fluids used in production and chemicals injected to control corrosion or to separate oil from water and general industrial waste. The activities have not only affected the hydrology of the seasonally flooded fresh water swamp and the brackish water of the mangrove forest; they have also killed crops, destroyed fishing grounds and damaged the drinking water sources. In the face of the many-sided effects of oil exploration and production activities in the Nigeria’s Niger Delta, there is poor environment planning and management typified by policy gaps, lack of political will and poor commitment to the enforcement of existing environmental policies and weak environmental justice. Central to the above dysfunctional environmental management regime in Nigeria’s Niger Delta is the interplay of politics in the formulation and implementation of policies that affect environmental management. This study examines environmental management and sustainable development in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. 1.3 Objectives of the Study The objectives of this study are to: i. Examine the relationship between commitment by Federal Government to environmental management policies and sustainable development in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. ii. Assess the relationship between genuine development agenda and sustainable development in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria.