INTRODUCTION
Pollution
is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause
adverse change.[1] Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or
energy, such as noise, heat or light. Pollutants, the components of pollution,
can be either foreign substances/energies or naturally occurring contaminants.
Pollution is often classed as point source or nonpoint source pollution.
OBJECTIVES
The
objective of the project is to improve urban living conditions with regard to
environmental health, sanitation, drainage, water, street and security
lighting, vehicular access, and solid waste management in a sustainable manner,
with special emphasis on the poor people. The project is aimed at reducing the
frequency, severity, and duration of flooding in the targeted areas and
increasing the amount of refuse collected and disposed of in an environmentally
sustainable manner.
SCOPE OF WORK
Activities
aimed at improving or maintaining the standard of basic environmental
conditions affecting the well-being of people. These conditions include (1)
clean and safe water supply, (2) clean and safe ambient air, (3) efficient and
safe animal, human, and industrial waste disposal, (4) protection of food from
biological and chemical contaminants, and (5) adequate housing in clean and
safe surroundings. Also called environmental hygiene.
The
essential components of Environmental Sanitation include:
i) Solid waste
management;
ii) Medical
waste management;
iii) Excreta and
sewage management;
iv) Food
sanitation;
v) Sanitary
inspection of premises;
vi) Market and
abattoir sanitation;
vii) Adequate
potable water supply;
viii) School
sanitation;
ix) Pest and
vector control;
x) Management of
urban drainage;
xi) Control of
reared and stray animals;
xii) Disposal of
the dead (man and animals);
xiii) Weed and
Vegetation Control;
xiv) Hygiene
education and promotion.
STATEMENT OF
PROBLEM
Many
constraints and problems, ranging from socio-cultural, economic and management
problems hinder effective Environmental Sanitation practices in Nigeria. Some
of these constraints include:
3.1.
Lack of clear policy assigning responsibilities for Environmental Sanitation
within the levels of Government;
3.2.
Poor perception of Environmental Sanitation as an essential service and a major
determinant of health and good standard of living;
3.3.
Inappropriate institutional framework;
3.4.
Duplication of responsibility by many Stakeholders in the sector;
3.5.
Weak and poorly enforced Public Health Laws, State Laws and Bye-laws;
3.6.
Lack of adequate professional manpower especially at the State and LGA levels;
3.7.
Inadequate research activities;
3.8.
Inadequate Environmental Sanitation education and awareness;
3.9.
Inadequate allocation of resources for Environmental Sanitation services;
3.10.
Inadequate sensitisation and mobilisation of communities in planning, designing
and decision-making on Environmental Sanitation matters;
3.11.
Inadequate sensitisation and mobilisation of the private sector in the delivery
of Environmental Sanitation services;
3.12.
Inadequate participation of Stakeholders in project planning and
implementation;
3.13.
Low literacy level.
SOURCES AND
CAUSES OF POLLUTION
Air
pollution produced by ships may alter clouds, affecting global temperatures.
Air
pollution comes from both natural and human-made (anthropogenic) sources.
However, globally human-made pollutants from combustion, construction, mining,
agriculture and warfare are increasingly significant in the air pollution
equation.[10]
Motor
vehicle emissions are one of the leading causes of air pollution. China, United
States, Russia, India[14] Mexico, and Japan are the world leaders in air
pollution emissions. Principal stationary pollution sources include chemical
plants, coal-fired power plants, oil refineries,[15] petrochemical plants,
nuclear waste disposal activity, incinerators, large livestock farms (dairy
cows, pigs, poultry, etc.), PVC factories, metals production factories,
plastics factories, and other heavy industry. Agricultural air pollution comes
from contemporary practices which include clear felling and burning of natural
vegetation as well as spraying of pesticides and herbicides[16]
About
400 million metric tons of hazardous wastes are generated each year.[17] The
United States alone produces about 250 million metric tons.[18] Americans
constitute less than 5% of the world's population, but produce roughly 25% of
the world’s CO2,[19] and generate approximately 30% of world’s waste.[20][21]
In 2007, China has overtaken the United States as the world's biggest producer
of CO2,[22] while still far behind based on per capita pollution - ranked 78th
among the world's nations.[23]
In
February 2007, a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC), representing the work of 2,500 scientists, economists, and policymakers
from more than 120 countries, said that humans have been the primary cause of
global warming since 1950. Humans have ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions and
avoid the consequences of global warming, a major climate report concluded. But
to change the climate, the transition from fossil fuels like coal and oil needs
to occur within decades, according to the final report this year from the UN's
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).[24]
Some
of the more common soil contaminants are chlorinated hydrocarbons (CFH), heavy
metals (such as chromium, cadmium–found in rechargeable batteries, and
lead–found in lead paint, aviation fuel and still in some countries, gasoline),
MTBE, zinc, arsenic and benzene. In 2001 a series of press reports culminating
in a book called Fateful Harvest unveiled a widespread practice of recycling
industrial byproducts into fertilizer, resulting in the contamination of the
soil with various metals. Ordinary municipal landfills are the source of many
chemical substances entering the soil environment (and often groundwater),
emanating from the wide variety of refuse accepted, especially substances
illegally discarded there, or from pre-1970 landfills that may have been
subject to little control in the U.S. or EU. There have also been some unusual
releases of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, commonly called dioxins for
simplicity, such as TCDD.[25]
Pollution
can also be the consequence of a natural disaster. For example, hurricanes
often involve water contamination from sewage, and petrochemical spills from
ruptured boats or automobiles. Larger scale and environmental damage is not
uncommon when coastal oil rigs or refineries are involved. Some sources of
pollution, such as nuclear power plants or oil tankers, can produce widespread
and potentially hazardous releases when accidents occur.
In
the case of noise pollution the dominant source class is the motor vehicle,
producing about ninety percent of all unwanted noise worldwide.
TYPES AND CAUSES
OF POLLUTION
The
term pollution refers to the act of contaminating ones environment by
introducing certain hazardous contaminants that disturb the ecosystem and
directly or indirectly affect the living organisms of that ecosystem. Pollution
in general is the activity of disturbing the natural system and balance of an
environment.
The
increase in the pollution over the years by man has caused severe damage to the
earth’s ecosystem. It is responsible for global warming which is leading to the
end if all the lives on earth. Over the years there is an extreme increase in
the rate of human diseases, and death rate of various animals and plants on
earth, and that is all because of the pollution caused by man himself.
There
are many types of pollution, but four of them have the most perilous affect on
our lives. Following are the four most dangerous types of pollutions and their
causes:
AIR POLLUTION
Air
pollution is perhaps the most common and the most dangerous type of pollution.
It involves the direct release of chemicals into the environment. The chemicals
then become the part of the air around us that all the living things take in.
The increase in the rate of diseases such as asthma and lung cancer today is
due to the increase in the air pollution around us. Air pollution is also a
cause of global warming and acid rain.
CAUSES OF AIR
POLLUTION
Basically
the air pollution is caused by the burning of fuel that directly releases
hazardous chemicals into the air. For example the burning of coal releases
sulphur dioxide, a poisonous gas which is responsible for acid rain. The
sources of such chemicals are the large factories, smoke from the vehicles,
chimneys and burning of wood.
THREAT TO POLAR ANIMALS DUE TO GLOBAL WARMING
The
effects of global warming are playing havoc everywhere - higher temperatures,
hurricanes, heavy rains, flooding and droughts have now become more frequent
and severe in intensity.
SOIL POLLUTION
Soil
pollution involves the contamination of soil by the release of harmful
substances into the soil. Unlike air pollution, which has a direct affect on
human lives, soil pollution causes an indirect damage to humans and other
animals. The lives of all the living things depend on three sources: water,
light and soil. The plants which are the producers of the food chain take up
their nutrients, which are essential for their living, from the soil.
Drying
Lakes Due To Global Warming
Lakes
Dried Or Drying Up
Lakes
are fresh water bodies that are enclosed by land from all sides. They are
considered to be a short-term water body, and may dry up with changing
environmental conditions.
The
nutrients taken by the plants are then transferred to the consumers that depend
on these plants. Hence a soil consisting
of contaminants will not only affect the plants growing on the soil but it will
also indirectly harm the entire food chain.
CAUSES OF SOIL
POLLUTION
Soil
pollution is mainly caused by the release of industrial waste. This waste is
directly incorporated into the soil by large industries and factories. Soil
pollution is also caused by human acts as mining and deforestation etc.
WATER POLLUTION
The
75% of the earth’s surface is covered with water and more that half of the
total population of earth’s species resides in water. Moreover, our life
greatly depends on water and life without water is impossible. Water pollution
not only affects the fish and animals living in the water but also affects the
whole food chain by also transferring the contaminants to the consumers
depending on these animals.
ANIMALS
ENDANGERED DUE TO POLLUTION - ENDANGERED ANIMALS OF THE WORLD
The increase of human population over the
centuries has caused not one but many damage to Earth. The increase in human
population leads directly to the increase in their demand which in turn leads
to animal extinction. Water used from a polluted lake directly contaminates its
user. Many of the water creatures are on the verge of extinction due to the
dramatic increase in the water pollution.
CAUSE OF WATER
POLLUTION
Just
like air and soil pollution, water pollution is caused by the direct
incorporation of hazardous pollutants. The sources of these pollutants are yet
again the large industries and factories that dispose off their waste in lakes
and ponds.
NOISE POLLUTION
Unlike
other the above mentioned types of pollutions does not involve hazardous
chemicals or their incorporation into the environment, rather noise pollution
is the increase in the rate of noise in the environment. Noise is defined as an
unpleasant sound that has an adverse affect on the human ear.
Noise
can be extremely dangerous. And it is all around us. It penetrates into human
mind and controls it.
Too
much noise leads to severe psychological illness and badly affects the
behavior. It leads to hypertension, stress, aggression and annoyance. Moreover,
it causes depression and forgetfulness.
CAUSE OF NOISE
POLLUTION
Noise
pollution is caused by the moving vehicles, man made machines and loud music.
Other than that noise can be caused by anything, but these three sources are
the main reasons for the noise pollution around us.
INTERNET REFERENCES
http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-environmental-sanitation.htm
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/hygiene/sanitpromotionguide/en/index.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanitation