Assessing Demographic and Socio-economic Characteristics and Awareness Levels of Coastal Hazards in the Niger Delta Region, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47514/kjg.2025.07.01.020Keywords:
Flooding, Adaptive Capacity, Educational Programmes, Resource Allocation, SalinityAbstract
Solid Coastal communities in the Niger Delta region face increasing environmental risks shaped by complex socio-economic and ecological factors. Consequently, this study assessed the relationship between demographic and socio-economic characteristics and awareness levels of coastal hazards in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The data used for this study were acquired from the administration of 817 copies of the questionnaire. A systematic sampling technique was used for the administration of the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the socio-demographic/economic profiles of the respondents and their coastal hazards awareness levels. Chi-square X2 test was used to examine the relationship between the demographic/socio-economic variables and hazard awareness levels in the study area. Findings of the study revealed that floods and saltwater intrusion showed the highest awareness levels (means 3.06, 3.02), while erosion and accretion were lowest at 2.26. The findings revealed moderate coastal hazard awareness among respondents, with a grand mean of 2.59 and a standard deviation of 1.067, indicating notable variability in awareness levels. Findings further revealed that there is a significant correlation with age, educational attainment, and family size, duration of residence, occupation, and income with respondents’ awareness of coastal hazards. Notably, older, more educated individuals and larger families exhibited higher awareness of hazards, including coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion, and sea-level rise. The study recommends targeted coastal hazard education for marginalized groups like low-income, low-education, and new residents.
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