Authors
Nwafam, Joy Chinyere
PhD Candidate
College of Postgraduate Studies
Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State
chinyerenwafam@gmai.com +23407030206031
Onukwube Alex Alfred Anedo
Department of African & Asian Studies
Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka Nigeria
onunedo.alexlfred@gmail.com
Abstract
This study examined traditional Igbo cultural practices
and environmental conservation with particular emphasis
on indigenous approaches to controlling deforestation in Southeastern Nigeria. The study was motivated by the
increasing rate of deforestation and environmental
degradation in the region despite the existence of modern
environmental policies. The problem of the study was
that traditional indigenous conservation systems that
once protected forests and natural resources are
gradually declining due to modernization, Christianity,
urbanization, and globalization. The study adopted the
descriptive survey research design. A sample size of 350
respondents was selected using simple random and
purposive sampling techniques. Data were collected
through questionnaires, oral interviews, and secondary
sources, while descriptive statistical methods such as
frequency tables and percentages were used for data
analysis. The study was anchored on the Cultural
Ecology Theory propounded by Julian Steward in 1955.
Findings revealed that traditional Igbo cultural practices
such as sacred forests, taboos, communal regulations,
and traditional sanctions contributed significantly to
environmental conservation and the control of
deforestation in Southeastern Nigeria. The study also
found that modernization and western influences have
weakened these indigenous conservation practices. The
study concluded that traditional Igbo cultural practices
remain valuable indigenous approaches to environmental
sustainability. The study recommended the integration of
beneficial indigenous conservation systems into modern environmental policies and the preservation of traditional
environmental values through community awareness and
cultural education.
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