Good Governance and Environmental Sustainability in Rivers State, 2015-2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31150/ajshr.v3i5.1065Keywords:
Good Governance, Environment, SustainabilityAbstract
The manipulation of the environment by man to satisfy his immediate needs causes many universally recognized environmental problems such as greenhouse warming, ozone depletion, soil erosion, acidic rain, and water pollution, among others. The question is, if man is responsible for several environmental calamities that endanger humanity, could his actions be governed and constrained by the law? What is the role of the government in maintaining a sustainable environment? This paper examined the role of regulatory authority (government) in maintaining a sustainable environment. This study sampled the opinions of 313 respondents selected through a cluster, purposive, and accidental sampling procedure. The findings revealed that there is a nexus between good governance and environmental sustainability in the aspect of providing an effective legal framework and institutions for the implementation of environmental sustainability plans. The finding also revealed that the Nigerian government has done below expectation in building and ensuring the protection of the environment, thus, resulting in the indiscriminate activities of oil companies and the local youths. Some factors responsible for government failures are duplication of government institutions, corruption in the public sector, sabotage and lack of effective regulations, amongst others. The paper, therefore, recommended among others, that government should develop and execute national rules and blueprints for integrated management of crude oil exploration, environmental protection, and pollution remediation efforts collaboratively for a sustainable environment.
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