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ASSESSMENT
OF THE EFFECTS OF SAND EXCAVATION ON THE ENVIRONMENT
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Soil is an
important resource covering the land surface. Mining is the process of getting
minerals and soil components for various uses. Man depends on soil for
agriculture, construction and even as a habitat for various organisms (Mwangi,
2007). People benefit from soil particularly sand and gravel but interfere and
disturb the resource through excessive exploitation to fulfill their needs.
There is worldwide concern about the environment which prompted the researcher
to carry out this study on the environment. It seems there is excessive mining
of soil components for construction in both rural and urban development. Gravel
is mixed with river sand in filling and compacting foundations, river sand is a
component of concrete in making slab while pit sand is required for plastering
buildings. River sand is used in most mixtures because it is a strong resource
which strengthens even pit sand in plastering and makes durable bricks
(Morwaeng, 2013).
Sand is a
valuable resource and main input in the construction industry in many parts of
the world (Eiskine and Green, 2000, Gob, et al, 2005). Mining excavation
involves the removal of sand from their natural configuration. Sand mining
occurs both on small and large-scale in major parts of Nigeria. It has been
observed that with an estimated 16 million housing deficit (Ezekiel 2010; lsah,
2011) and infrastructural development in Nigeria, there will continue to be the
great demand for sand and other construction materials (Omolu and Ajakaiye,
1988). Sand mining is a practice that is used to extract sand, mainly through
an open pit. Sand is also mined from beaches, inland dunes and dredged from
ocean beds and river beds.
Sand is
often used in manufacturing as an abrasive, for example, and it is used to make
concrete. It is also used in cold regions to put on the roads by municipal
trucks to help during heavy rainfall and extreme weather conditions, usually
mixed with salt or another mixture to lower the freezing temperature of the
road surface (have the precipitations freeze at a lower temperature). Sand
dredged from the mouths of rivers can also be used to replace eroded coastline
(Kadi, et al., 2012).
The
increasing rate of urbanization across the globe has brought with it several
challenges ranging from physical, economic, social, to environmental among
other issues (Cohen, 2006; Chelala, 2010: Kadi, et al., 2012). To cater for the
rapid urbanization, several sites are now being exploited for the excavation of
sand. Traditionally, sites for sand mining are rivers and beaches; however,
sand is mined from river months, banks and even at inland sand deposits.
Rapid
urbanization is a major cause for the demand of sand mainly used for building
construction and is responsible for unsustainable extraction of sand from the
many illegal inland sand, mining pit, sand mining operators, citizens, and
government becomes more confrontational as a result of more sand excavation
sites located in urban and rural areas. Conflicts have centered on
environmental and social issues such as noise, truck traffic, dust, stream
water quality, reclamation, biodegradation, population and visually unpleasant
landscapes (Willis and Garrod, 1999), and the citizens concern on the adequacy
of regulatory efforts of the government to control these negative effects.
Environmental
impacts of mining are well documented in the form of waste management, impacts
of biodiversity and habitat, deforestation of land with the consequent
elimination of the vegetation, pollution (water, air, land and even noise
pollution, etc. (Abdus-Saleque, 2008). In Nigeria and many other tropical areas
sand mining is a major cause of deforestation and forest degeneration,
generating a large number of environmental impacts (World Rainforest Movement,
2004). It is noted that large-scale mining activities generally continue to
reduce the vegetation of most of the mining communities to levels that are
destructive to biological diversity (Akabzaa, 2000). Davis and Tilton (2005)
also suggest that local communities tend to bear the negative impacts of mining
be it social, economical or environmental. It is therefore important to make
effort to stem these problems through informed decision-making. However, making
informed decision in many areas including monitoring sand mining activities
often involves complicated processes for optimal decision making, information
from various sources is required such as spatial information, which is
essential to address activities of sand mining and their impacts on the
environment (Burrough and McDonnell, 2O02).
1.2
Statement of the Problem
Abraka and
Eku are both a growing urban centers which have experienced rapid population
growth and physical expansion especially since the early 1990s with the
establishment of the Delta State University which is situated at Abraka main
town. This has resulted to the influx of people from different parts of the
state. These in turn have exerted pressure on the needs for housing provision,
in addition to construction of roads (Akinbode and Ugbomeh, 2006).
Sand mining
is a direct cause of erosion, and also impacts the local wildlife. For example,
sea turtles depend on sandy beaches for their nesting, and sand mining has led
to the near extinction of gharials (a species of crocodiles) in Nigeria.
Disturbance of underwater and coastal sand causes turbidity in the water, which
is harmful for such organisms as corals that need sunlight. It also destroys
fisheries, causing problems for people who rely on fishing for their
livelihoods. Removal of physical coastal barriers such as dunes leads to
flooding of beachside communities, and the destruction of picturesque beaches
causes tourism to dissipate. Sand mining is regulated by law in many places,
but is still often done illegally (Kadi, et al., 2012).
Abraka and
Eku are expanding at an alarming rate. Expansion means growth in
infrastructure, construction of new roads, commercial malls and residential
areas (Wokorach, 2002). There is need for use of various soil components such
as pit sand, river sand and gravel from various sites surrounding the city.
People seem to be extracting these soil components excessively without
considering the impact on the environment. Most likely, there is
overexploitation of soil leaving deep pits on bare ground while rivers are
widening daily. Soil mining has become a daily sight with tipper trucks
carrying pit sand, river sand and gravel from rivers and open fields. It seems
there are no strict rules to govern soil extraction. Deep and wide pits are
left when pit sand and gravel are collected, riverbeds widen and deepen after
removing river sand, affecting aquatic while gravel removal destroy ecosystems,
forests and agricultural land (Mbaiwa, 2008). Pit sand organisms is collected
from River Ethiope, river sand is from Ovwuvwe river while gravel is extracted
from River Ethiope. There seemed to be a problem of environmental alteration,
ecosystem and agricultural land destruction as well as riverbed and bank
degradation due to excessive removal of pit sand, river sand and gravel which
prompted the researcher to investigate the depth of these environmental
impacts.
Sand and
gravel were continuously excavated along the beaches and valley of river
Ethiope from Urhuoka to Ajalomi even up to the axis of the boundary between
Abraka and Eku of the River Ethiope. Dredging equipments are seen mounted along
the course of the river that excavated the sand into piles along the River
Bank. Daily tonnes of sand are carried into the town with trucks loaded.
Contractors who cannot afford dredging machine uses locally made canoes and
shovels to scoop large amount of sand along the beds and banks of the River.
The impact of this excavation apart from acting as a source of income to the
residents, are usually very negative.
The major
problems associated with sand excavation and mining activities in Abraka-Eku
region along River Ethiope include wrong channelization of the river channel,
destruction of the riparian vegetation, degradation of the natural environment,
impact on biodiversity, pollution of water, deforestation, erosion along the
valley side slopes and disturbance of underground water and coastal sand
causing turbidity in the water, which is harmful to organisms. Sand excavation
causes degradation and severe effects on fish, causing problems for people who
rely on fishing for their livelihoods. Sand excavation causes removal of
physical coastal barriers such as dunes thereby leading to flooding of
beachside, buildings, and disrupts tourism activities in the beaches. It is
against this background that this study is conducted to investigate these
problems and find possible ways to address the problems.
1.3 Aim and
Objectives of the Study
The aim of
this study is to assess the effects of sand excavation on the environment of
Abraka-Eku along Ethiope River. In order to achieve the above stated aim, the
following specific objectives were considered;
To identify the various sand
mining/excavation sites along River Ethiope in Abraka and Eku.
To investigate the effects of sand
excavation on coastal areas where excavation is done in Abraka-Eku region along
the River Ethiope.
To proffer solutions to the sustainability
of the environment where sand excavation is going on in the area studied.
1.4 Research Hypotheses
The following hypotheses guided the
study;
Sand excavation has no significant impact
on the environment of Abraka-Eku along River Ethiope.
Sand excavation has no significant impact
on the coastal areas of the River Ethiope where excavation is done.
1.5 Study area
The study area (Abraka and Eku) is
located in Ethiope East cal Government Area of Delta and in the Niger Delta
Region of Nigeria.
1.5.1
Location and Size
River
Ethiope which cuts across the two study areas (Abraka and Eku) took its source
from Umuaja in Ukwuani L.G.A Delta State. River Ethiope is located in the
South-South geo-political zone of Southern Nigeria. Abraka is located
geographically at latitudes 050 451 to 050 501 North of the equator and
longitudes 060 001 to 060 151 East of the Greenwich Meridian. Abraka is
situated at the Eastern Bank of River Ethiope in Ethiope East Local Government
Area of Delta State in the Niger Delta region of Southern Nigeria. It is
bounded to the North by Orhionwon Local Government Area of Edo State, and to
the East and in the South and West by Ukwani Local Government Area and the
Ughelli North Local Government Area respectively. Abraka has a total area of
landmass of 168,43square kilometer.
Eku is
located geographically at latitudes 050 451 to 050 051 North of the equator and
longitudes 060 061 to 060 161 East of the Greenwich Meridian. Eku is bounded in
the North by River Ethiope, in west by Okpara-waterside, in the east by Abraka
and in the South by Samagidi (both in Ethiope East L.G.A of Delta State). Eku
has a total landmass of 65,8km2. The entire Ethiope East region falls under
Agbon and Abraka clan which is part of the Urhoboland.
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