Assessing the Possible Impacts of Climate Change on the Tourism Potentials of Ebomi Lake, Ondo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Climate change as one of the greatest threats to environmental sustainability, can impact on any sector of the economy including tourism. Thus, this study examined the possible impacts of climate change on the tourism potential of Ebomi Lake, Ondo State, Nigeria. Available literature showed that biodiversity and water resources which are the greatest assets of tourism in Nigeria are being negatively impacted by climate change. With respect to the study area, field observation showed that human activities such as farming, timber logging and bush burning which are all drivers of climate change are predominantly high. In addition, information from oral interviews conducted also showed that the lake may have shrunk while the environment appeared less forested compared to the situation some 50 years ago. Thus, it was concluded that Ebomi Lake might be suffering from the negative impacts of climate change such as changing micro-climate, biodiversity loss, degradation of landscape and drying-up of lake amongst others. Therefore, our recommendations included (1) acquisition of additional portion of lands around the lake by the government to ward-off intruders and prevent illegal human activities, (2) implementation of policies and laws that prohibit human activities which are inimical to ecosystem conservation, while (3) perpetrators of illegal activities should be apprehended and punished to serve as deterrent and thus protect the environment against biodiversity loss.