THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION

The research work focus on the problems associated with environmental degradation; examine the major implication on both economy and prevention of environmental degradation in OYO STATE NIGERIA.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

       Environment is the physical and biology immediate surroundings of man, man is part of the environment and the environment is part of man. It is very difficult to separate a man from his environment, he can only move from one to another. The environment of man plays very important roles on mans health and his existence, it means a conducive environment and man makes good country.

       According to RK JAIN and SUNIL S RAO, the two factors which contribute most vitally to the economic progress of a country are the quality of its people and the diversity and richness of its natural resources. JAIN and RAO still believe that the quality of the people of a country depends upon these three factors

i.            The innate intelligence of the people

ii.          The cultural heritage

iii.        The physical environment in which they live

Fertile land, minerals on natural vegetation, fisheries and native animal life are the chief natural resources on which the economic development of a country can be based. The variety and the richness of natural resources of a country determine the patterns of occupation of its people. The more diversified the natural resources of a country the more varied will be their occupation. Different occupation offer varying egress of opportunities than hunting. But the best opportunities for the shaping and improving human ability and intellect are afforded by the occupation of manufacturing by factor system, agricultural by modern method; modern means of transport and communication and international trade and commerce, political administration is also a good training ground for people intellect.

       According to JO OLUWANDE [1988] described water as another component of environment which is increasingly scarce resources requiring careful economic and environment management the situation is exacerbated in Nigeria by rapid population growth and urbanization, its demand for irrigation in agriculture. At the same time the engineering and environmental cost are much higher or new waste supplies than for source already tapped, in Nigeria and other developing countries. Water quality is poor and often unsafe for human consumption. In addition to human suffering the economic and environmental damages from water pollution are devastating.

       Water or river degradation is subjected to siltation from sediment loads due to soil loss, itself linked to loss of forest and tree cover. They are also subjected to significant net water with drawers slowing along their course, due to agricultural, industrial, and municipal use as well as pollution from human and animal waste, although the rivers posses significant natural capacity to assimilate  and render harmless many pollutants the existing inflows in most case substantially exceeds much natural capacities. This fact together with other progressive education in stream flows ensure that the river water quality in the vast majority of cases declines as one goes downstream. The result include loss of livelihood for fisher flask, significant impacts on human health from polluted water lords habitation for many birds species and loss of land navigation potential apart from these, Nigeria rivers are extricable linked with the history and religions believes of its people, and the degradation of important river system accordingly offends their spiritual, aesthetic and cultural sensibilities.

       This type of problem were also associated with other degraded areas such as soils and vegetation, and natural pastures and including forest from very important natural resources wild as well as domesticated animal life also depends upon natural vegetation. The present standard of our forestry nationwide has sent some of forest habitat into other band while some were eradicated. These problems are giving the federal government of Nigeria the African union and other global organization a great concern as they spends a lot to preserve, maintain and improving the present situation.

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through declaration of resources as air, water and soil. The destination of ecosystem and extinction of wildlife, it is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be dipterous or understandable.

   As indicated by the I = DAT [Deregulation Affluence Technology] equation, environmental impact [I], or degradation is caused by the combination of an already very large and increasing human population [P], continually increasing economic growth or per capital affluence [A] and the application of resources depleting and polluting technology [T].

   Environmental degradation is one of ten threat officially cautioned by high level threat panel of the United Nations. The United Nation international strategy for disaster reduction destines environmental degradation as the reduction of the capacity of ‘the environment to meet social and ecological objectives and need’

   Environmental change and human health, a special section of world resources 1998-1999 in this report described how preventable illness and premature deaths are still occurring in very large number. It vast improvement is made in human health. Millions of people will be living longer health live than ever before. In these forest region of the world an estimated 11 million children or a bound one in fire, will not live to see their fifth birthday, primary because of environment related disease.

   Child mortality is larger than combined population of Norway and Switzerland, and mostly due to malaria, acute, respiratory infection or diarrhea illness that are largely preventable.

1.2 CLIMATIC CHANGE AND PEMPERATURE

   Climatic change affects the earth’s water supply in a large numbers of ways. It is predicted that the mean global temperature will rise in the coming years due to a number of atmospheric CO2 will rise, and both of these will influence water resources, evaporation depends strongly on temperature and moisture available to replenish ground water supplier.

   Temperature from plants be affected by a rise on atmospheric CO2, which can decrease their use of water from possible increase of leaf area temperature increase can decrease the length of the snow season in the winter and increase the intensity of snow melt in warmer seasons, leading to peak runoff snow melt earlier in the seasons, affecting soil moisture flood and drought risk and storage capacities depending on the area.

   Warmer winter temperatures cause a decrease in snowpack which can result in diminished water resources during summer. This is especially important at mid latitude and mountain region that depend on glacial runoff to replenish their river system and ground water suppliers, making these areas increase in temperature will initially result in a rapid rise in water melting from glacier and a decrease in the melt and consequently the water supply every year as the size of the glacier get smatter and smatter.

   Thermal expansion of water and increased melting of oceanic glacier from an increase in temperature gives way to a rise in sea level, which can affect the fresh water supply of coast al areas as well as river mouths and delta with higher salinity refreshed further in land, and intrusion of salt water result in an increase of salinity in reservoirs and equators.

   Seas – level rise may also consequently cause by a depletion of ground water, as climatic changes can affect the hydraulic cycle in a number of ways.

   Uneven distribution of increase in temperature and increase precipitation around the globe decrease in ground water suggest a rise in sea-level even after melt water and thermal expansion were accounted to fresh-water supply.

   A rise in air temperature result in rise in water temperature, which is also very significant in water degradation, as the water would become more susceptible to bacteria growth.

   An increase in water temperature can also affected ecosystem greatly because of species sensitivity to temperature and also by including change in the body of water self-purification system from decreased amount of dissolved oxygen in water due to rises in temperature.

1.3 PROBLEM OF THE STUDY

Despite the laudable environmental health program being implemented by various tiers of government in conjunction with the global agent to make the people live in a healthy conducive environment. The people of this state are still experiencing some environmental health problems such as water pollution and air pollution as a result of indiscriminate disposal of waste in the environment. This is coupled with the concentration of federal environmental protection agency [FEPA] only at the state capital, which does not allow other areas from feeling their impacts in terms of monitoring and assessment.

1.4    PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

2.  To identify the causes of environmental degradation from the grass root

3.  As erosion to investigate the implication of environmental degradation on the health of community.

4.  To see the factors that can reduce the vast environmental degradation in the country

1.5    SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The research work still focus on the problems associated with environmental degradation; examine the major implication on both economy and prevention of environmental degradation in OYO STATE NIGERIA.

1.6 HYPOTHESIS RESEARCH QUESTIOS

1. Does the poor waste disposal have anything to do with environmental degradation?

2. Does good and adequate waste disposal promise safe environment?

3. Does persistent environmental pollution promote environmental degradation?

1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS

1. HEALTH – it is a state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and social well being of individual and not merely absence of diseases [WHO 1945]

2. ENVIRONMENT – it is defined as global concept which consists of natural and manmade resources available of given time for the satisfaction of man needs. It means surroundings affecting lives [OUWANDE 1988]

3. POLLUTION - this is the improvement of nature

4. P.T.A – population affluence technology

5. DEGRADATION – this can be change to similar form or a situation in which has lost all self – respect band the respect of other people [OXFORD ADVANCE LEARNERS].

6. AN ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION – a process of being damages or made worse the surroundings of a man [OXFORD ADVERNCE LEARNERS DICTIONARY].

7. SALTATION – settlement of sand mud or other desiccants carried to the water bay or harbors [OXFORD ADVANCE LEARNERS DICTIONARY]

8. COMMUNITY – there are the people living in one place, district or country considered as whole [OXFORD ADVANCE LEARNERS DICTIONARY]

9. PUBLIC HEALTH – there is the act and scene of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting physical health and efficiency through organized community effort infections [communicable diseases] health education of the individual on the principles of personal and public hygiene, organization of medical and nursing service for the early diagnosis and preventive treatment disease and the development of the social machinery which will ensure to every individual in the community a standard of living adequate for the maintenance of health [WINSLOW C.E.A. 1981].

10. ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION – this is the control of biological, chemical and physical process and influence which may have side affection the wellbeing of man

11. WASTE – is defined as a substance produced in our daily [consumption and recreational, production and living] activities of federal ministry of housing and environment, Nigeria monographs serves as N02, which are unwanted and are no longer

12. BUILDING PLAN – is the outline [drawing of or for a building] showing the relatives aforementioned [ADVANCE LEARNERS DICTIONARY]

13. NUISANCE – nuisance in the connection includes conditions which are offensive or likely to be injuries or dangerous to health such as bad smell, fly breeding alteration of rats.