CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Sanitation generally refers to the provision of facilities and services for the safe disposal of human generated wastes. Inadequate sanitation is a major cause of disease world-wide and improving sanitation is known to have a significant beneficial impact on health both in households and across communities. The word ‘sanitation’ also refers to the maintenance of hygienic conditions, through services such as garbage collection and wastewater disposal.†If you should think about the coming years, you’ll understand why waste management is important. It’s like constant contaminated oxygen for all we know. It plays a major role in our lives and the environment in general. It’s like living in a room with sections that contain the waste as well as the fresh air. How long will you be able to survive? We live in a world that needs to be protected. For a healthier, hygienic environment, it’s important that wastes are managed properly. Throughout history, the environment and natural resources have played a defining role in social, political and economic transformations. They have also been a major contention in characterizing Africa as a continent in crisis (Opara,2008a, Opara and Gerhard,2008).The environment has been at the receiving end and overburdened with aftermath of the excesses of humans in their struggle for survival. Environment is a complex weave of physical, chemical and biotic factors that interact with each other and impact upon all living things and their surroundings. Environment is the source of global economy that must be protected and managed sustainably. Nigeria is a country with productive and diverse ecosystems including mangroves, rainforest, savanna as well as wetlands. Awka, the study area is the capital of Anambra State Nigeria, with area coverage of about 12,000Ha (NDDC, 2003). The South East area is the hardest hit of environmental destruction arising from oil production. Awka Metropolis in the South East region of Nigeria is the fourth largest urban Centre of the country. It possesses substantial natural resources prominent among which are major oil and gas deposits in the South East region of the country, a variety of solid minerals, good agricultural land and water resources, a large labor force and a vibrant private sector. Average daily waste (refuse) generated in Awka ranged between 900 to 1350 metric tons (RSESA, 2005). The agency charged with the responsibility of solid waste management in Awka is Anambra State Environmental Sanitation Authority (ASESA), and Anambra State Waste Management Agency (ANSWAMA). The agency created refuse collection centers points within the metropolis and evacuate it to designated government approved dumpsites. Composition of waste generated include; Garbage (41%), paper and plastics (35%), scrap metal and glass (15%), construction waste (4%), sludge (3%) and expired chemical wastes and drugs (2%) (RSESA, 2005). The South East environment, as a resource and a system, is threatened. Unsuitable large-scale exploitation of ecosystems for strictly economic ends is resulting in disastrous outcomes in which the environment and agricultural productivity is degraded and the benefit proves illusory (Opara, 2003). The most serious of our environmental problems can be found in the South East where, as a result of exploration and exploitation of petroleum oil and gas, the surrounding areas have been adversely polluted (Opara, 2008b). Apart from problems associated with oil spills there is the problem of gas flaring. According to Adelakun (2003), promotion of environmental quality depends on how individual and community see themselves in relation to their environment. It is the ways people perceive the environment that they will treat it. And it is the way the environment is treated that it will in turn support life. He believes that illiteracy, ignorance, poverty and greediness are some of the major contributors of environmental degradation because each influences people’s behavior and attitudes towards the environment. A person who is ignorant of his/her action on his/her environment will likely have wrong perception about the effect of that action on his health. A community that understands the link between a healthy environment and good health can save time, money and avoidable agonies. The way a person treats the environment depends on his/her knowledge or level of awareness about the environment. Despite the low level of formal education most especially in the villages, various communities managed the waste generated properly. In the past, people lived in harmony with their environment and they enjoyed good health. There were few medical experts, if any, in many towns and villages. They had dumping sites for refuse far away from the hearts of the village where people live, and they occasionally burnt these sites. Villagers whose environments were dirty were often penalized by elders-in-council. Human fasces at the center of the city were regarded as sacrilege. People immediately removed carcasses of animal from the village any time there was one. Trees were planted to provide fresh air and shades for relaxation. Communities’ sources of water guarded against pollution. Towns and Cities like Awka were not left out and people enjoyed relative health. However, things suddenly changed despite the spread of western education. Industrialization and urbanization somewhat made people to overstress the environment. Uncurbed population growth and rural-urban migration even compound the matter. Heaps of refuse have taken over some open spaces, streets and roads in major towns and cities. Offensive odour and the creation of breeding spaces for pathogens and disease vectors are the resultant effects. Awka as an urban center lacks effective refuse/waste management system, many major streets are refuse dumping sites. The population explosion in Awka metropolis, has contributed seriously to the deposition of solid waste in the city. This demographic factor coupled with other social factors like level of illiteracy, flagrant breach of town planning law and inadequacy /social facilities like public toilet, sewerage facilities etc, have led to indiscriminate dumping of solid waste in the city. In essence, in such a situation, the environment has become hostile and to avert such situation there is need to check ever growing population – a source of solid waste. Although government provided refuse receptacles in some areas, people still dump refuse indiscriminately. However, this is not peculiar to Awka alone. Waste management authorities collect refuse from households and public containers on a regular basis in a few urban communities. As a result, most urban households resort to open dumping or refuse, engage refuse collectors, burn or bury wastes. Nothing is as important as human health, and no wonder it is generally believed that health is wealth. WHO sees health as a state of complete physical, metal and social well- being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.