October 2016 - Friends of The Environment Nigeria

October 31, 2016

Harmful Urban Degradation Habits

Residents of Lagos should desist from dumping waste into drainage channels and canals to maintain a flood-free Lagos. Residents who still patronize cart pushers should desist from the illegal act as this contributes to environmental degradation. Disposal of waste must be done through the proper channel which is LAWMA/PSP Operators.

Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has urged all residents of the state to maintain clean environment and personal hygiene. And to also imbibe the ideals of healthy environmental practices. Improper environmental practices include waste burning, especially domestic wastes and tyres. This improper practices can be injurious to human health and the environment.

Role of LAWMA in the Environment

LAWMA has adopted various advocacy mechanisms to sensitise residents in the metropolis. This advocacy is on the need to maintain effective sanitation and personal hygiene in their surroundings. The rainy season hampers the turn-around time of waste managers’ trucks at the landfill sites. This situation would not deter the Authority in ensuring effective waste evacuation across the state.

The Authority has embarked on capping the landfill sites with laterite to improve the working condition of the sites. It is not easy for the bulldozers to push waste to wherever they want to push them to. This is because of the nature of the soil during the rainy season, that notwithstanding, they must do their job.

A good example is Solous 1 dumpsite, Igando. A bulldozer has been deployed there to clear the dumpsite. Thus, paving the way for free movement of compactor trucks, which by extension will improve waste evacuation in the surrounding environment. This statement was made by the General Manager of LAWMA, Mr Segun Adeniji.

The LAWMA Chairman advocated for the teaching of effective waste management in schools. This he stated would help to instil the habit of cleanliness and hygiene in the younger ones.

Also, Lagos is a coastal City that has high water table levels and is prone to flash-floods whenever it rains. We must therefore imbibe habits to keep our environment clean. This will enable free movement of the drainage system.

Source: http://tribuneonlineng.com/lawma-boss-warns-harmful-urban-degradation-habits/

By Ifeanyi Maduka

Environmental News

October 25, 2016

Tackling Effect of Mining, Climate Change On Environment

Mining, while a viable economic activity could become an albatross in the wake of climate change, there is an urgent need to ensure that stakeholders address the environmental impact of mining towards mitigating the effect of climate change, Ruth Tene Natsa writes.

Three communities in Osun state Igun Atakumosa, iperindo and Itagumodi have lamented the deep environmental degradation and poverty mining is causing to their communities.

The communities cried out with the support of Global Rights Nigeria paid a visit to assess the impact of mining in the state.

The community secretary to Igun Atakumosa, Adegbayibi Adenigbabe lamented “the huge environmental risks, poverty, health challenges and hopelessness mining has brought to their community”

According to Adenigbagbe “mining has robbed our community of its only source of drinking water, agricultural lands and produce and degraded the environment such that our community is at risk of an earthquake, landslide and a flooding at best.

“The government has destroyed our land, they have destroyed our farms and have refused to give us compensation” he said

The community secretary added that “While the community is blessed with abundant natural resources, particularly in the area of agriculture (cocoa farming) and mineral resources with abundant gold deposits, the community is no doubt a looming natural disaster waiting to happen as deep open wells and mining channels have led to the collapse of many economic trees and agricultural produce”.

Igun Atakumosa is said and seen to have over 3000 open mining pits and 9 mining ponds with contaminated water which serves no good for human consumption or agricultural purposes. Sadly the pits are still counting revealed and showed fresh mining pits which had been dug in the past 1 week.

Also visible are the collapsed,collapsing or cracking grounds,sinking trees caused as a result of the activities of underground mining.

Sad as this may be, this is the story of mining communities all over the nation,even when efforts are made to compensate them,the environment is never returned to its natural state which is often destroyed aside the lives lost.

The death of over 700 children in the Zamfara gold mining incidence of 2000 is never to be forgotten and also the recent deaths of 28 children in Niger state is not to be forgotten,but far from this could be a more drastic effect to unsafe mining and that will be when Climate change comes into play.

A negative impact mining has on the environment is environmental degradation as a result of poor or non remediation of mined deposit sites,it then leaves the environment to the risk of flooding,erosion and other natural disasters.

Unfortunately Nigeria because of the incessant activities of illegal miners has large areas of unremediated sites which makes such environments disasters waiting to happen(aside the fact that such sites are lost to agriculture for the provision of food and the fight against hunger).

The impact is that subsequently communities continue to loose large agricultural lands to the effect of mining and with the gradual impact of climate change, subsequently, loose this lands to natural causes such as flooding, erosion and even volcanic eruptions at the worse of times (Thank God Nigeria as a nation has been spared the worst of natural disasters,but the flooding debacle which visited several states in 2014 is not soon to be forgotten)

Wikipedia defines Climate change as a change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns when that change lasts for an extended period of time (i.e., decades to millions of years).

Climate change may also refer to a change in average weather conditions, or in the time variation of weather around longer-term average conditions (i.e., more or fewer extreme weather events). Climate change is caused by factors such as biotic processes, variations in solar radiation received by Earth, plate tectonics, and volcanic eruptions.

In 2015 the rains were a little delayed and this is according to scientists is as a result of the climate changing.

So while climate change has impact on the weather primarily,the secondary effects are compounded by the effects to the environment of which mining plays a big role.

Other human activities have also been identified as significant causes of recent climate change, often referred to as “global warming”,one of these effects according to participants at an Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) media Round table could be the effect of mining on the environment.

As a means to addressing this menace, one of the 16 goals of the SDGs which took off on January 1 2016 is to take action to combat climate change and its impact,which undeniably the practice of safer mining practices can promote.

In the 2030 Agenda for the SDGs, it says as a means to combating the effect of climate change,”governments can strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate related hazards and natural disasters”. It is therefore important that government begins to raise awareness on the impact unsafe mining can have on the environment.

The fact that remediation can reduce the risks of natural disaster makes it imperative that drastic measures must be taken to protect the environment particularly in mining communities to ensure such disasters are averted.

As such it is time the government of the day rise up to its responsibilities of educating the people,raising awareness and raising awareness on human,institutional capacity on climate change mitigation,adaptation,impact reduction and early warning.

This can be done through creating awareness on the need to practice safer mining and ensure mining sites and communities are properly re mediated,particularly in rural communities.

Keying to the United Nations SDG program which Nigeria is a signatory to,is one way of ensuring the sector plays its role in not just ensuring safe mining but of protecting the environment.

Source: http://leadership.ng/features/491536/tackling-effect-mining-climate-change-environment

By Tochukwu

Energy Conservation

October 21, 2016

Energy Conservation

Energy is a primary input for almost all activities of life. Energy conservation refers to reducing energy by using less energy service. For example, driving less is an example of energy conservation.

Energy remains one of the main constraints for economic growth in Nigeria. The lack of reliable access and irregular power supply is a persistent problem affecting businesses across the country. It also discourages foreign investors.

Most of the industries are requested to reduce their energy consumption by using renewable energy sources and optimizing their usage. Sectors such as industry, commerce, transport and telecommunications has compelled us to focus our attention on our ever increasing demands.

Energy related problems are not new. The energy related problems are as old as 2500 years ago. The early Romans and Greeks faced fuel shortage as wood was their primary source of energy. They had to import wood from very faraway places. Fossil fuel is still the main source of energy.

Energy Conservation Initiative in Lagos

The Lagos State Government is encouraging Lagosians to imbibe an energy conservation culture. The Lagos State Electricity Board (LSEB) is spearheading an initiative tagged “Conserve Energy, Save Money”. This initiative is under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. The initiative is designed to sensitize Lagosians around the theme of energy conservation. This would be done by connecting with and influencing their behaviour through do-it-yourself tips and exciting interaction with prominent personalities. The aim of the programme is the promotion of energy efficiency in policy making, in rural and urban households as well as in the industry.

Energy supplies can be extended by the conservation, or planned management, of currently available resources. Some obstacles stand in the way of conserving energy. It requires hundreds of millions of people to do routine things such as turning off lights and keeping tires properly inflated. Also, the price of energy is very high. Low energy prices make it difficult to convince people to invest in energy efficiency.

Nigeria must seize the opportunity to develop renewable energy to foster economic growth and improve the livelihoods of its people. In addition, Nigeria has human resources and capacity to lead one of the best renewable industries in the world. But to do that it must overhaul its energy policy and increase investment in research and development.

Source: http://graduateway.com/energy-conservation/

https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/103466.html

http://theconversation.com/nigeria-needs-investment-to-increase-its-renewable-energy-output-53117

By Ifeanyi Maduka

Environmental NewsPollution

October 19, 2016

DEALING WITH NOISE POLLUTION IN LAGOS

Noise pollution is primarily a loud enemy to the ears. It is also an enemy to the environment as it pollutes our surroundings. Constant exposure to loud noise, experts say, affects our auditory system; especially when it is above the normal 85 decibels. Noise above the normal decibels can perforate our ear membranes which can result in temporary hearing loss.

Lagosians literally go through hell and back trying to commute from one point to another. The traffic snarl they grind through daily is the main culprit. Yet it is worse that they are unable to get enough hours of sleep at night because of neighbourhood noise.

Such noises usually come from generating sets during power outages. But, the noise also comes from the many churches and mosques whose loudspeakers constantly blare to the highest decibels.

There are now many confirmed health issues associated with noise pollution. Some of these include cardiovascular challenges like blood pressure levels, stress-related diseases, sleeping disorders, fatigue and hearing problems.

The religious angle to noise pollution

The unchecked establishment of churches and mosques in residential neighbourhoods is a sign of the subversion of law and order in our society. Due to the noise of generators, residential neighbourhoods literally go up in uproar of sounds whenever there is power outage.

In such neighbourhoods, sleeping becomes a nightmare. Apart from the noise produced from hotel generators, the heavy fumes from their exhausts also pollute the environment. Hotels and beer parlours, especially those that employ the services of disc jockeys that play from night till dawn, should come under the radar.

In addition, motor parks where blaring loud speakers unceasingly announce the destinations of vehicles should be covered. Mobile salesmen that mount blaring horn speakers on their vans should no longer have a field day.

Overall, a policy should be put in place so as to put a stop to this incessant noise in the environment.

Source: http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/07/08/dealing-with-noise-pollution-in-lagos/

Source: http://thenationonlineng.net/lagos-tackles-noise-pollution-3/

By Tochukwu

Pollution

October 19, 2016

Water Pollution In Lagos

Water is essential for life. We need clean, usable water every day: to drink, bathe in, cook, and produce many goods and services. We must improve the way we use and manage our water resources. This will help us enjoy the vital services our water ecosystems provide. Oceans are ecosystems, quite susceptible to pollution. Many estuaries have become so badly polluted that they have been closed to commercial fishing. Therefore water pollution is a major issue that needs to be addressed.

Water Pollution in Lagos

Lagos Lagoon along the Ebute-Metta and Eti-Osa axis is currently facing a number of serious environmental and ecological challenges. Uncontrolled discharge of untreated wastewater and sewage into the lagoon has degraded the quality of surface water beyond acceptable limits.

Damage caused by the continuous discharge of unregulated and uncontrolled solid and liquid wastes into the Lagos Lagoon has provided motivation to community. Environmentalists, policy makers and stakeholders have decided to brainstorm the environmental perspectives for the overall sustainability of the environment.

The Lagos Lagoon is located in the Lagos Island area of Lagos State, Nigeria. The Lagos Lagoon along the Ebute-Metta and Eti-Osa axis is a coastal terrain and is surrounded by urban development. The rainy season extends generally from March to November with irregular dry spells.

The Ebute-Metta and Eti-Osa and its environs are typical of the country’s Southern zone with relatively moderate temperature and fairly excessive humidity particularly during the rainy season. Unfortunately, some of these natural drainage lines have been blocked by development in the eastern coastal areas, resulting in the creation of large swamps and a rise in the groundwater table in the neighbouring undeveloped areas.

Furthermore, the vicinity of the Lagoon at Iddo and C.M.S axis were noticed to be the most polluted area. This implies that the Lagoon at this two sampling points is highly polluted with the commercial activity in that location. The water quality in these locations of the Lagoon is rapidly declining, thereby rendering the water unsuitable for any freshwater fauna and flora and recreation purposes.

Uncontrolled disposal of raw sewage, sediment carrying runoff and effluents into the Lagoon system has created serious health concerns for the downstream water user groups. In view of the experiences and the lessons learnt from the past, the concept of Basin-wide planning has been felt necessary for sustainable development in Nigeria.

Source: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiEwMfY5ebPAhVIPxoKHac5BTMQFghSMAc&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sapub.org%2Fglobal%2Fshowpaperpdf.aspx%3Fdoi%3D10.5923%2Fj.aac.20110101.02&usg=AFQjCNFiE-e2x42x9G0kMZqcdxqISm3MCQ

By Tochukwu