Abstract

Kelechi Ajunwa, Uzoma Osuji and James Ikedi Njoku

The enormous consequences of the wanton devastation of the environment inspired this study that
evaluated the environmental conservation in Owerri West Area of Imo State, Nigeria. The objectives of the
study were: to determine the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers, ascertain the farmers
environment conservation information needs, investigate their environmental conservation practices and
identify the problem militating against sustainable environment conservation practices. The data for the
study were collected from 120 randomly selected farmers from 6 communities out of the 18 existing
communities in the area of study. The data collected were analyzed with the use of descriptive statistics such
as frequency counts, percentages, mean. The result showed that farmers needed information in the area of
environmental disaster management and funding sources for environmental management. The perceived
effects of environmental conservation were to improve the farmers’ socio-economic life and reduce hazards.
The results also showed that inadequate knowledge base of environmental conservation practices was a
major problem militating against environmental conservation and that maturing was the most conservation
practice carried out by the farmers. It was however recommended that extension education campaigns on
environmental conservation practices should be intensified and the socio-economic determinants of the
farmers’ information need to be considered in interventions and advocacies.