Terrestrial Carbon Stocks in the Niger Delta: Impacts of Petroleum Exploitation Activities and Prospects for Multiple-Actor Management for Expanding Forest Carbon Abatement BY FRANCIS S. IKUPONISI ECO-OUTREACH, PORT HARCOURT

INTRODUCTION Little attention has been paid to the loss of terrestrial carbon stocks associated with petroleum exploitation in Nigeria. This paper demonstrates that carbon releases associated with loss of terrestrial carbon stocks represent a part of the notable portion of the suite of petroleum associated carbon emissions in the Niger Delta, and evaluates prospects for multiple-actor management for expanding forest carbon abatement.

SURVEY The impacts of petroleum activities on terrestrial carbon stocks in the Niger Delta are discussed using a recently commissioned multibillion-dollar integrated oil & gas project as case study (SHELL GBARAN-UBIE IOGP). The paper assesses the Project land-use through a review of the statutory public-available project EIA documents; The relative carbon densities of the project’s land-take were assessed by overlaying geo-referenced project areas on a recently UNEP-WCMC generated map of Nigeria’s terrestrial carbon stocks. The paper analyses current trends in carbon governance and policy frameworks for best practices.

RESULTS Project land-take/land-use estimates indicate a large project spatial extent, e.g., over 350km of flowlines/bulklines/pipelines were laid and over 75Ha of Bases. The paper determines the project to be located within land areas with some of the highest carbon density classes in Nigeria (158 to 408 ton/Ha). The paper indicates that potential carbon releases associated with the project’s forest conversion represent a part of the notable portion of the suite of petroleum associated carbon emissions in the Niger Delta.

TRENCHING FOR PIPELAYING

Trench Excavation

CONCLUSION The paper identifies a number of challenges for expanding forest carbon abatement in the Niger Delta including: Inadequate national legal and policy framework A history of inadequate corporate social responsibility within the Nigerian upstream oil subsector Documented low level of climate change awareness among Niger Delta community folks Inadequate capacity with a significant proportion of National CSO, and weak national and transnational networks within CC mandated CSO community Deflected unanimity on global carbon governance

The paper recommends a framework of multiple-actor management for Niger Delta terrestrial carbon stocks: This framework include: National legal and policy framework Transnational public policy networks Corporate voluntary forestry offset programmes Community-based carbon governance Civil Society Organisations (CSO) carbon advocacy and carbon policy monitoring Networks