The Effect Of Solid Waste Management Practice (A Case Study Of Owerri, Imo State)

ABSTRACT

This study focused on solid waste generation and disposal in Owerri Municipality. The cross-sectional study was carried out in Owerri capital city, selected through a systematic random sampling from Owerri capital city. A total of 320 copies of a structured questionnaire containing questions on study variables were distributed among subjects and only 240 correctly filled copies were used for the study. Survey research design was adopted for the study. Questionnaire was used to gather data for analysis. The data used for the study was analyzed using simple percentages and mean and presented in tables. From the study, it can be deducted that majority of respondents understand what constitute solid waste, population residing at Owerri use open dumping as method of waste disposal 172 (70.4%), while open burning 20 (10.8%), dumping at river banks 20 (10.8%) and others 8(2.8%) were forms of waste disposal in Owerri, while majority of the respondents 200 (83.3%) were aware of the need for effective strategies of waste management practices in Owerri. This implies that waste management strategies employed by the government were properly utilized by the public. It can therefore be recommended that due to high percentage of putrescible materials contained in the waste generated, the reactor system of composting should be adopted for their treatment due to its flexibility, adaptability, modularity, cost effectiveness and eco-friendliness.

CHAPTER ONE

1.1     INTRODUCTION

The American Public Liquid Association in 1975 defined solid waste as unwanted and useless material with insufficient liquid content to be free flowing, because of its sticky nature, solid waste has the ability to accumulating and physically insulting and degrading the environment if not well managed. And is more conspicuous in the urban than rural areas and has been linked to such problems like demographic inconsistency and in continuity in sanitation policy and data availability. The increase in population as a result of industrial revolution in major towns and cities of the world have necessitated rapid growth or high rate of urbanization and development for instance; Nigeria cities in recent time have witnessed rapid population growth resulting from influx of migrants from rural area to the cities. This brings about the concentration of industrial, commercial, infrastructural, administration and government activities in urban centers. Thus, as the population of cities grows, the rate of waste generation also increases leading to increase burning of refuse (in the developing countries) and high rate of air pollution ,which increased concentration of green house gases that causes global warming and eventually Climate change. The volume of waste generated in any city is often reflection of the intensity of human activities such as population urbanization and social development, resources exploitation and unchecked technological advances. All these activities generated one form of waste or the other. And the volume of waste generated has also increased tremendously .the implication of this is that we have more waste to cope with.

One of the greatest hazards of man today is poor sanitary condition of his environment, which is being caused by his daily activities, such as waste generation, increase in population and attendant increase in agricultural, industrial and commercial activities.

Wastes are substances, materials or objects discarded as worthless or unwanted, defective or of no further value for human economic productive, activities or processes (Okechukwu, 2014).

U.S AD-Hoc Group for science and technology (2009), and Adegoke (2015 defined waste as substances and materials or objects which are disposed off according to the provision of a national law. Basically, wastes can exist in three different states-gaseous, liquid and solid. The people are more sensitive to solid waste than to the others. This is because solid wastes have the potential of accumulating and physically insulting the environment.

In the past, the advance effects of human activities were spread over large expense of land and sea. With the measure increase in pollution in recent times and the growth of cities and rapid industrialization, waste discharge have multiplies concentrated at a few model points.

Solid wastes are unwanted materials that cannot flow directly into steams or rise immediately in the air. They are non-liquid, non-gaseous residues of manufacturing, construction, cooking, recreation, agriculture and other activities that use and then discard materials.

They include glasses, bottles, outdated newspapers, carton, plastic, bottles, abandoned automobiles and automobiles parts, discarded cooking utensils, wraps, dead animals et cet era.

Effective solid waste management is achievable only when socio-economic factors are integrated into solid waste management studies. This approach would, according to Hudson and Marks (2016), make it possible to predict not only the expenditure pattern of a household and how much waste would be generated by each particular item consumed, but also the qualities of wastes generated by household. The first note worthy attempt at studying this problem based on this approach was made by Boyd and Hawkins (2017) with limited success, it would be argued that this approach may make it possible to transform the data generated into an input a national solid waste generation projection since that household is the basic wait of consumption and waste generation. Projection of this nature would assist urban environmental planner to better and rationally tackle this problem of waste urban areas. In addition, waste management agencies may use the results of such studies as an instrument for improving or initiating innovations in waste management practices.

It is the realization of the need to highlight the socio-economic aspects of wastes generation and management and their implication for solid wastes managements that provided a case for the present study of Owerri city area of Imo state.

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have caused the temperature of the earth to rise by 0.6Cover the last 100 years. The ten (10) warmest years of the 20th century all occurred in the last 15 years of the century and 1998 was the warmest year on record (www.defra.gov.uk). Thermal expansion and glacier melting are causing sea level to rise, rises in sea level can increase the salinity of freshwater throughout the world ,and cause coastal lands to be washed under ocean exposing populations to increased risk of flooding, .patterns of precipitation are changing, with greater like hood of extreme events and more areas subject to water stress warmer water and increased humidity may encourage tropical cyclone, and changing wave patterns could produce more tidal waves and strong beach erosion on the coast with consequences for agricultural production.

These changes to the environment will most likely. These changes to the environment will most likely cause negative impacts on society, such as, flooding, lower health and decreasing in socioeconomic development.

Developing countries like Nigeria are particularly at risk, because of her bad waste management system and unhealthy disposal practices. Global temperature will continue to increase causing further disruption to climate patterns. Ultimately, all this can only be brought under control by engaging in sustainable waste management practices, and stabilizing greenhouse gases concentrations in the atmosphere. Therefore the research intends to investigate the effect of management practice on waste disposal in Nigeria.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The problem confronting this research is to appraise the effect of waste management practice in Nigeria. The increase in population, industrial, commercial, technological and economic activities has resulted in the growth of volume of waste and its effect in our environment, therefore the formulation and implementation of effective strategy is imperative for the management of waste disposal in Nigeria (A case study of Owerri).

1.3 AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of these research work is to ascertain the effect of solid waste management in Owerri.

1.4 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

1. To appraise the nature of solid waste in the environment
2. To determine the effect of solid waste on the environment
3. To appraise the strategy for effective waste management practice
4. To determine the management practice of Owerri for effective waste management

1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What constitute solid waste?
2. What is the effect of solid waste in the environment?
3. What constitute the strategy for effective waste management practice?
4. What constitute the management practice of Owerri for effective waste management practice?

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

1. The study shall provide a structural study on solid waste
2. It shall investigate the effect of solid waste on the environment
3. The study shall analyze strategies for effective waste management practice
4. It shall provide a reference source of information for environmental experts.

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study is focused on the effect of waste management practice on waste disposal in Owerri municipal council of Imo State.

1.8     JUSTIFICATION

The world is becoming increasingly urbanized. The outbreak of diseases and the associated environmental problems are increasing in frequency and magnitude. However, government at the local, state and federal levels with non-governmental agencies have shared little concern to the issue of improper household waste management in the study area. The research therefore, intends to suggest a better waste management practice in the study area.

In the study area, much solid wastes are being generated by the households on daily basis. The waste is usually left uncleared for about two weeks before the waste are reluctantly rumpled into gutters or at the designated sites. The households use various methods in during this. These ranges from drums and buckets to refuse bin with lid or without lid and packed by boys using wheel barrows to empty it.

This methods seen not to be affective, this is due to the fact that the refuse/ wastes smell in the compound and eventually leads to outbreak of disease such as diarrhea, cholera et cet era.

This work shall therefore suggest a better practice of waste management in the study area. This will go a long way to eliminate the effects of late evacuation of waste, either from the compounds or at the designated points.

1.9     DEFINITION OF TERMS

WASTE MANAGEMENT: Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal.

SOILD WASTE: This is any garbage, refuse, sludge from a wastewater. Or air pollution facility and other discharged material resulting from industrial, commercial, agricultural, individual or community activities

OR

The American Public Liquid Association in 1975 defined solid waste as unwanted and useless material with insufficient liquid content to be free flowing, because of its sticky nature, solid waste has the ability to accumulating and physically insulting and degrading the environment if not well managed.

WASTE MANAGEMENT PRACTICE: Waste management Practice is the managing and monitoring of various waste materials

Pages:  68

Category: Project

Format:  Word & PDF         

Chapters: 1-5                                 

Material contains Table of Content, Abstract and References.