Contexts of sustainable development risk in climate change and anthropogenic-induced bushfire in Nigeria

Globally, bushfire is increasingly being recognized as a critical threat to human survival. Situating climate change and man-caused bushfire risks within sustainable development is critical to engendering appropriate mitigation strategies. This paper therefore reviewed bushfire risks on Nigeria's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), institutional and policy frameworks for their reduction. A total of 64 materials which essentially fall within 7 years period (2017-2023), were sourced online from Google, ResearchGate and ScienceDirect repositories. Journal articles represented 71% of the sourced materials which were analyzed based on sustainable development framework. The study adopted narrative approach in reporting the findings of the study. Findings reveal that climate change, especially increasing atmospheric temperature, recurring episodes of droughts, dry spells and seasonal alterations coupled with multiplicity of anthropogenic actions are intensifying bushfire risks. Although bushfire is ecological zone-ubiquitous in the country, its magnitude appears to be higher in the Rainforest and Guinea Savanna due to relative abundance of ignitable biomes. Broadly, its sustainable development risks in Nigeria encompass poverty (SDG 1), destruction of farms (SDG 2), threat to human health and wellbeing (SDG 3), gender inequality (SDG 5) water pollution (SDG 6) and destruction of biofuel resources (SDG 7). Other risks include threats to economic growth (SDG 8), responsible consumption and production (SDG 12) and peace (SDG 16) as well as being a factor in air pollution and GHGs emissions (SDG 13) and alteration of soil and loss of biodiversity (SDG 15). Considering the extensive number of goals at risk and that the impact of bushfire on an SDG is capable of upsetting other SDGs, we argue that it poses significant threats to Nigeria's realization of several SDGs. Increasing budgetary allocation to fire agencies, synergy among stakeholders, environment-friendly behaviour, enforcement of fire-related laws, establishment of rural communities-based fire watches, climate-friendly development strategies and fire-risks insurance schemes are recommended as workable measures that can be adopted by policymakers and other stakeholders toward a holistic tackling of bushfire-related sustainable development risks in Nigeria.