The linkage between population, wealth and environmental stress in West Africa.

Chukwuedozie K. Ajaero, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

The debate about the relationship between population, wealth and environment has been a contentious one. In West Africa, variations exist across countries within the regions with regards to population size, population density, wealth distribution, and environmental stress albeit in hitherto undefined magnitudes. This work therefore examines the magnitude of linkages between the variations in population, wealth and environmental stress using the STIRPAT model. Our findings reveal disparities in the linkages between population density, wealth distribution and environmental stress across the region.The impacts of the analysis in different countries in our study was braodly grouped into areas with low-impact; areas of high impact; and areas of intermediate impacts on the environment. The disparities are attributable to different factors. Consequently, this works suggests the application of country-specific measures in the quest of the region to achieve sustainable development and meet up with the targets of the millennium development goals.