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Effects Of Global Warming
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Rainfall throughout the year is due to its location in the Niger Delta
with monsoon wind continually blowing from the Atlantic Ocean. The wet
and dry seasons are noticeable with annual rainfall between 2000mm to
3000mm.
Table 1.1 Mean Monthly Rainfall Distribution (mm) in Abraka (1976-2005)
J F M A M J J A S O N D Total 27 32 122.1 241.5 296.2 442.6 615.5 450.4 628.9 180.8 54.9 25.8 3097.8
Source: Archive: Dept of Geography Weather Station: 1976-2005 (Efe, 2006)
Table 1.2 Mean Monthly Temperature Distribution (0C) in Abraka (1976-2005)
J F M A M J J A S O N D Mean 30.3 30.5 30.4 30.5 30.7 30.1 30.1 30.1 30 30.5 30.7 30.7 30.6
Source: Archive: Dept of Geography Weather Station: 1976-2005 (Efe, 2006)
Abraka
as an urban area has experienced a rapid increase in size over the
years, due to the presence of various administrative offices and
governmental functions it performs both as the administrative and
governmental functions. This is also as a result of the presence of the
institution in the area. This attracts people from surrounding area, to
itself, because of its employment opportunities and academic activities
thus resulting in over-crowding, increased temperature, urban warming,
among others leading to global warming.
1.6.2 Population of the Study Area
There have been increases in the population of Abraka since 2005 when
it was declared an urban centre by the Ministry of Lands, Survey and
Urban Development (MLSUD), Asaba-Delta State. The population of Nigeria
as a whole has been on the increase in recent times (Mabogunje, 1980).
He gave two reasons; which are natural growth in the urban population
and migration from other parts of the world. This can be attributed to
Abraka region as it is one of the rapid urbanization towns in Nigeria
due to the presence of tertiary institution. The presence of tertiary
institution that have different programmes and other economic activities
has been one of the major pull factors attracting people into Abraka
and this has led to population explosion which contributed immensely to
rapid economic and socio-economic development of Abraka urban. Apart
from population growth the town has expanded from small town to an urban
centre today engulfing the surrounding of Abraka rural due to its rapid
urban development.
The implication of these increase in size and
population, is that it has led to population explosion in urban areas of
Abraka which have in turn resulted in the alteration of the natural
environment and its climate due to anthropogenic activates carried out
in the area. This has in turn had adverse effect on the inhabitants of
Abraka and its environs through global warming effects.
1.6.3 Climate
Abraka
falls within the tropical environment that enjoys the tropical
rainforest climate (AF) of Koppen in 1918 and the wet equatorial climate
of Strahler in 1969. The climate is influenced by two masses; the
tropical maritime air mass and tropical continental air mass. Abraka is
region of the humid tropical climate with high temperature between the
months of November and April with variation in temperature between 250c –
290c between April and October. The region of Abraka has an annual
temperature of about 30.60c with a monthly mean temperature of 300c from
September and 31.10c in June and July with an annual range in
temperature between 30c and 50c. It is discovered in repeated studies
that the average climatic rainfall in Abraka is about 2500mm annually.
Abraka is placed into two seasons; the dry (Harmattan) and wet (rainy)
season. However, Abraka experiences rainfall throughout the year owing
to its location in the Niger Delta zone with the continual monsoon wind
blowing from the Atlantic Ocean and also a continuous from shift in the
Inter-Tropical Discontinuity (ITD) due to the movement of air masses.
The implication of these is that intense rise in temperature over the
years have affected the inhabitants of Abraka through global warming
effects.
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