by Willem Smuts
From the Alpine meadows of the Ruwenzori’s, Drakensberg and Atlas to spring and karst peats in the arid Kalahari or Sahara – peat in Africa is to be found in some unusual places. The African tropics are where the most expansive peatlands are to be found on the continent.
Casting an eye to central west Africa: the Congo Republic where swamp forests of 10,000 km2 are not uncommon and floating papyrus islands approaching hectares in size and with peat bases of up to 1.8m are used by local fishing tribes to live on. Swamp forests of various types are common from northern Angola through Congo, Gabon Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cote d’ Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia and into Senegal. From Nigeria westward mires occur mostly in the coastal zone, i.e. within about 200 km of the coast. In west Africa peatlands range in size and type from the Niger Delta to the inter-dune or valley mires that may be as small as few hectares – examples of these are to be found in the Republic of Benin and will be discussed in subsequent articles.
The Niger Delta – world famous as the source that made the Federal Republic of Nigeria the 5th largest oil producer in the world today – is less well known for its magnificent expansive present-day tropical delta. These complex mires (papyrus meadows; Raphia forests; hardwood forests; etc.) are to the oil-world just a nuisance that ups the exploration and production cost of oil. To the indigenes the delta is a source of everything the need on a day-to-day basis – food, shelter and bartering resources.
Sadly this immense natural laboratory where studies of climate, weather, chemistry, sedimentation, ecology can teach us so much is virtually untouched from a research perspective. Expanding needs for more oil production and pressure from growing populations has severe implications for the future wellbeing of the delta. Oil spills and fires from sabotaged pipelines can have devastating effects on both environment and people alike. There are examples of entire villages and 1000’s of hectares of surrounding swamp forest laid waste by such fires. Subsequent peat fires burn for many months unchecked until the next rainy season lifts water levels again. Rapid growing metropolises like Lagos (16 to 18 million people) also have an insatiable hunger for natural resources such as “bush-meat” and traditional medicines that has collectors and hunters employing more staff and severe methods ensuring quick and high volume returns on their efforts.
Whilst the Delta has significant potential as an eco-tourism destination there is precious little development in this direction yet. It is a well know fact that hungry people do not care for such considerations as the future of a particular natural resource whilst it can be used / eaten or sold for gain. Hopefully the Nigerian Government, the oil companies, and the people of the delta can come together and see beyond the “have and have not” problem causing the havoc in the delta and see the solution under their noses to solve that very problem.