Effects of Illegal Logging on Rainforest Sustainability and Community Livelihoods 0 0
Keywords:
Illegal logging, Forest, Ecology, Rainforest, IllicitAbstract
Illegal logging remains a major environmental and socio-economic challenge with severe implications for rainforest sustainability and community livelihoods, particularly in Nigeria. It involves unauthorized extraction, processing, transportation, and trade of forest resources, often driven by weak governance, corruption, poverty, and high global demand for timber. This study examines the impacts of illegal logging on biodiversity, climate stability, ecosystem integrity, and the socio-economic wellbeing of forest-dependent communities. Findings show that illegal logging contributes significantly to deforestation, habitat destruction, and species extinction, including endangered wildlife such as the Cross River gorilla and Nigeria–Cameroon chimpanzee. It also accelerates climate change through increased carbon emissions and the loss of forest carbon sinks. Ecologically, it leads to soil degradation, reduced forest regeneration, and ecological imbalance. Socio-economically, affected communities experience loss of income, food insecurity, increased poverty, higher cost of living, and displacement. Furthermore, illegal logging fuels social conflicts, rural–urban migration, and human rights abuses. The study reveals that Nigeria records substantial annual forest loss, driven largely by illicit timber exploitation. It concludes that illegal logging undermines both environmental sustainability and human development. The paper recommends stronger forest governance, improved enforcement of environmental laws, community participation, and sustainable forest management practices to mitigate these challenges and promote long-term ecological and socio-economic stability
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