Hydroelectricity In Nigeria: A Review Of The Associated Environmental Impact

Abstract

Water makes up about seventy (70) percent of the universe. This singular statistic implies that water is readily available; hence it has been put to numerous uses for the betterment of the human race. Hydroelectricity generation is has many advantages, which includes its flexibility in use, low maintenance cost, and availability. Although hydroelectricity poses less climate risk when compared to other methods, the equipment and machinery used together with the dam constructed have several associated environmental hazards. The problems include loss of habitat, flooding, degradation of water quality, loss of aquatic life, shortage of water. If the Government does not address the prevailing dangers by enacting legislative policies, resettlement of people affected by those areas and through other social interventions, the effects will keep hitting harder on the communities to an extent that it may be uninhabitable [1]. This paper reviews the environmental impact of hydroelectricity generation in Nigeria. It talks about the benefits derived and various ways it affects our habitat. It also proposes ways of reducing these effects to maximize the positive potentials derived from this method of power generation.