Environmental Impact Assessment on Land Reclamation from Sea

1. Introduction

Protection against flooding and creating deep access to maritime sea routes was the basic requirement for creating prosperity. In the course of many centuries, hydraulic engineering, dredging technology and land reclamation have emerged as means for creating water-bound prosperity and economic development (DEME, 2013). Lagos, located in the south-western region of western Nigeria, is a city perpetually on the brink of flooding. Bounded in the South by the Atlantic Ocean, the city is situated on the mainland, home to 70% of the city’s population with series of islands and a peninsula that holds the remaining 30% (Ogunlesi, 2012).

The pressures of overpopulation, the growth of industry and the need for protection of the environment were the driving forces behind the project to conquer land from the sea. Although Lagos state is the smallest state in Nigeria, with an area of 356,861 hectares of which 75,755 hectares are wetlands, yet it has the highest population. The rate of population growth is about 600,000 per annum with a population density of about 4,193 persons per sq. km (Lagos State Government, 2013).

In 2008, the Nigerian government commissioned the Shoreline Protection Project, which involved the construction of a 7km long mass of rocks, topped by 5 ton concrete blocks that will rise 9m above sea level. The dam will protect Eko Atlantic City, the massive new $6 billion infrastructure and real estate development (Ogunlesi, 2012). Still 2008 Lagos State Government and South Energyx launched the plan to build a 21st- century city on reclaimed land from the Atlantic Ocean.

The main goal for this EIA report is to conduct and provide a detailed document on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of land reclamation from Atlantic Ocean for decision making and impacts identification on the environment, despite the project has already commenced. This could be achieved through (1) identifying the project impacts and proposing mitigation measures, (2) provision of alternative measures and (3) check for project feasibility.

1.1 Project site (including map and pictures)

Figure 1: Map indicating Eko-Atlantic City with its adjoining Victoria Island

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Figure 2: Site pictures from the ongoing Land Reclamation project towards EkoAtlantic city development (Google images)

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