College of Public Health Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, James Cook Drive, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia.
Africa Centre of Excellence in Public Health & Toxicological Research (ACE-PUTOR), University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Port-Harcourt City, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Int J Equity Health. 2024 Sep 12;23(1):183. doi: 10.1186/s12939-024-02248-7.
When managed effectively, oil wealth can drive economic development and improve wellbeing. Conversely, as has been the experience in Ogoniland in the Niger Delta, the presence of the oil industry can lead to environmental degradation and social and economic vulnerabilities with negative impacts on health and wellbeing. Few studies have explored the experiences and perceptions of these impacts among residents of host communities themselves.
This qualitative study explored Ogoni residents' experiences and perceptions of oil-industry related economic exclusion and associated impacts on health and wellbeing. In-depth interviews with 22 participants from four Local Government Areas (LGAs) were analyzed with open (inductive) coding. Guided by constructivist philosophy, interpretation of emerging themes was informed by the concept of social exclusion which recognizes that multi-dimensional processes can deprive individuals or groups of resources, rights, goods, and services, thus limiting broader societal participation.
Findings highlight the exclusionary impacts of the oil industry at the intersection of i) damaged livelihoods and family income, that increased economic vulnerability and reduced participants' ability to meet basic needs including ability to pay for healthcare; ii) lack of progress on environmental remediation and non-transparent benefit sharing schemes that exacerbate economic displacement and contribute to ongoing exposures to air and water pollution; and iii) insufficient of investment in economic development and essential health services, limiting employment opportunities and ability to access adequate healthcare.
Addressing these issues requires integrated policy interventions focusing on equitable resource distribution, environmental restoration, and inclusive economic development to promote sustainable community resilience.
当石油财富得到有效管理时，它可以推动经济发展，提高人民的福祉。然而，正如尼日尔三角洲奥戈尼兰地区的经验所表明的那样，石油工业的存在也可能导致环境恶化以及社会和经济脆弱性，从而对健康和福祉产生负面影响。很少有研究探讨过石油工业对东道社区居民自身的这些影响的经验和看法。
本定性研究探讨了奥戈尼居民对与石油工业相关的经济排斥的经验和看法，以及这种排斥对健康和福祉的影响。对来自四个地方政府区的 22 名参与者进行了深入访谈，并采用开放式（归纳式）编码进行了分析。在建构主义哲学的指导下，通过社会排斥的概念来解释新出现的主题，该概念认识到多维度的过程可能剥夺个人或群体的资源、权利、商品和服务，从而限制了更广泛的社会参与。
研究结果突显了石油工业在以下方面的排斥性影响：i）破坏了生计和家庭收入，增加了经济脆弱性，降低了参与者满足基本需求的能力，包括支付医疗保健费用的能力；ii）环境修复和不透明的利益分享计划缺乏进展，加剧了经济流离失所，并导致持续暴露于空气和水污染；iii）对经济发展和基本医疗服务的投资不足，限制了就业机会和获得足够医疗保健的能力。
解决这些问题需要采取综合政策干预措施，注重公平的资源分配、环境恢复和包容性经济发展，以促进社区的可持续韧性。
