The Niger Delta is dying. Petrobusiness activities have caused severe environmental damage and climate change
in its communities thus leading to massive destruction of farmlands, wild and marine lives. This has not been
without dire social consequences on local communities of the Niger Delta which are doubly impoverished with
attendant increase in abuse occasioned by struggle for survival. This paper interrogates issues of interest in the
concrete experiences of Niger Delta communities in Nigeria in relation to environmental change. It highlights
the transition of the delta to its present state and explores the social consequences of this downturn in delta
communities. It argues that while the destruction of traditional means of livelihood has forced Niger Delta peoples
into an environment-related poverty, deteriorating living conditions, and massive underdevelopment,
environmental change in the area has led to new patterns of adaptation and survival. Both primary and secondary
sources were used for the purposes of the study.