AN EXAMINATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) AS A PLANNING TOOL FOR EFFECTIVE PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT IN NASARAWA STATE
ABSTRACT
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
is broadly defined as a systematic process that proactively examines
the potential consequences of development actions. As a planning
process, the longer-term objectives of EIA are to contribute to
sustainable development of the environment. EIA cannot meet its
sustainability objectives without a systematic follow-up program. The
aim of this study is to examine the Environmental Impact Assessment as a
planning tool for effective property development in Nasarawa state. To
achieve this objectives are to predict environmental impacts of
construction projects due to land use change or modifications, to
examine the environmental costs and benefits before construction
projects are started, to reduce adverse impacts during the construction
phase and to ensure that the environmental considerations are explicitly
addressed and incorporated into the development and decision-making
process.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of The Study
Ever since the 1972 Stockholm UN
conference on the Human Environment, which established the nexus between
under development and environmental integrity, environmental issues
have become transnational. Awareness has generated of the devastating
impact of uncontrolled exploitation of environmental resources. The
threat to wild-life, ecosystem, fauna and flora and indeed the security
of the human race has created organisations whose primary goals and
objectives are the protection and preservation of the environment.
Furthermore, the 1992 UN conference on
Environment and Development, otherwise known as the “Earth Summit” of
Rio de Jeneiro generated an action plan for sustainable development in
the 21st century, which has become the policy instrument that drives
environmental programmes in most developed countries. Sustainable
development was defined broadly as the ability of the present generation
to meet its needs without compromising the potentials of the future
generations to meet theirs. In fact Principle 3 of the Rio Declaration
on Environment and Development provides that “The right to development
must be fulfilled so as to equitably meet developmental and
environmental needs of present and future generations”.
Yet, in the bid to develop via
industrialization, developing countries are constrained to pursue the
same development models whose fall out assault and degrade the
environment. How to develop creatively, without compromising the native
integrity of the environment now constitutes a major challenge.
Environmental Impact Assessment is the
perceived tool for achieving the desired balance. Nigeria is one of the
few developing countries that have specific relevant legislation and
therefore this paper assesses Nigeria¡¦s Environmental Impact Assessment
Act 1992 and its practical relevance as an environmental management
tool especially in respect of core infrastructure projects.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a
process to assess the environmental consequences of any project and
design proper mitigation plans to minimise the possible adverse impacts.
It is a process of identification, prediction, evaluation, and
mitigation of biophysical, social and other relevant effects of
developmental activity on environment prior to make commitment is. EIA
is used to identify, predict, evaluate and mitigate the environmental,
social and other potential impacts and consequences of projects prior to
major decisions being taken and commitments made to recommend suitable
mitigation measures and to decrease possible adverse impacts. It is a
good management tool to predict the type, magnitude and probability of
environmental and social changes likely to occur as direct or indirect
result of a plan or policy and to decrease adverse impacts.
Environmental Impact Assessment is
usually considered as the appraisal of impacts that any developmental
activity may affect on the environment. Environmental impacts may be
positive or negative, harmful of beneficial. EIA process implemented
prior to any developmental project in order to ensure that no adverse
impact will be faced by the environment. Indian construction industry is
rapidly growing. Major environmental impacts of construction projects
are habitat destruction, loss of arable land, loss of biodiversity,
waste disposal, pollution, desertification, soil erosion and material
wastage etc. Human activities are both beneficial and harmful for
environment such as biological, cultural, social, economic impacts and
so on and they must be taken into consideration when the development
projects or plans are evaluated. According to International Association
for Impact Assessment Act, the purpose of EIA process is to ensure the
decision makers and consider all expected impacts of any project and
their effects when deciding a project. In this view, EIA process should
be used as a decision making tool rather than decision aiding tool. EIA
method helps in providing a guideline to select and design the project,
plan or activity with long term viability and to improve cost
effectiveness.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Since independence Nigeria is
experiencing various socio-economic problems with housing the poor
people and infrastructural development being one of the most prominent
issues in this regard. There exists a serious need to provide the poor
and marginalized people with housing in a country that has experienced
democracy for over forty years already. The National Government is aware
of the housing and infrastructural backlog, and makes resources
available for property development in and around main urban areas in the
different state or cities of our country, the next step is to conduct a
full environmental impact assessment (EIA) in order to determine the
various impacts that such a project would have on the environment. An
EIA is conducted to determine whether the available sites are suitable
for developing such projects, and to determine what the proposed impact
would be on the environment if such a project received the green light
to proceed. For projects like these to materialize there are various
environmental, social and economic factors that need to be considered. A
full EIA process is therefore a prerequisite to identify all the above
mentioned factors and to make recommendations on the findings of the
assessment, which is done by a qualified Environmental Assessment
Practitioner (EAP). It is against this background that this project
seeks to examine the Environmental Impact Assessment as a planning tool
for effective property development in Nasarawa state.
1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study
The aim of this study is to examine the
Environmental Impact Assessment as a planning tool for effective
property development in Nasarawa state.
The specific objectives of the study include:
- To predict environmental impacts of construction projects due to land use change or modifications.
- To examine the environmental costs and benefits before construction projects are started.
- To reduce adverse impacts during the construction phase.
- To ensure that the environmental considerations are explicitly addressed and incorporated into the development and decision-making process.
- To protect the productivity and capacity of natural systems.
1.4 Research questions
The basic research question of this study is:
- How can one predict environmental impacts of construction projects due to land use change or modifications?
- What are the environmental costs and benefits of construction projects?
- How does one reduce adverse impacts of a property development during the construction phase?
- How do you ensure that the environmental considerations are explicitly addressed and incorporated into the development and decision-making process.
- How do you protect the productivity and capacity of natural systems?
1.5 Significance of the Study
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) has
been recognised by international institutions, governments,
non-governmental organisations and other agencies as an essential tool
that can be used to achieve sustainable development. According to WCED
(1987), EIA is potentially an important instrument for furthering
sustainability in public and private decision making. Furthermore,
public participation is generally recognised as an important instrument
used in facilitating the sustainability of projects (Doelle &
Sinclair, 2006).
The findings of this study will be of great importance to government agency shouldered with the responsibility of making laws as it will guide them towards making legislation that will be environmental friendly.
Property developers and investors in real estate development will also find this research useful as will serve as guiding principles and an eye opener towards the relevance of conducting environmental impact assessment of any developmental project the one to embark on.
Finally, the research will great
contribute to the wealth of knowledge, as researchers and students will
use it as a base for further research into environmental impact
assessment and other related topics.
1.6 Scope and Limitation of the Study
The scope of this project is limited to
an examination of Environmental impact assessment as a planning tool for
effective property development in Nasarawa state. The study will be
limited to theoretical review of relevant literatures on the EIA and how
it will serve as a tool for effective property development in Nasarawa.
1.7 Background of the Study Area
The creation of present-day Nasarawa
State owes its origin to the British creation of Nasarawa Province in
1902. Nasarawa was at first called the Lower Benue Province in 1900, but
after the formal submission of the Emir of Nasarawa in 1902, the name
of the Province was changed to Nasarawa and the capital was moved from
Akpanaja to Nasarawa town.
Following the re-organisation of the Northern Provinces in 1926, Plateau Province was created out of the Provinces of Muri, Nasarawa and Bauchi. Some of the groups that were formally under Nasarawa Province were transferred to Plateau while others were incorporated into Benue Province. In May 1967, Benue and Plateau Provinces were merged to form Benue-Plateau State, one of the twelve states that the Military Administration of General Yakubu Gowon divided Nigeria in place of the four previously existing regions. When the country was further divided into nineteen states in 1976, Benue-Plateau State was split into Plateau and Benue States. In October 1996, Nasarawa state was created out of the western half of Plateau State with its capital in Lafia.
Nasarawa State is centrally located in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria. The state lies between latitude 7°Â 45′ and 9°Â 25’ N of the equator and between longitude 7°Â and 9°Â 37′ E of the Greenwich meridian. It shares boundary with Kaduna state in the North, Plateau State in the East, Taraba and Benue states in the south while Kogi and the Federal Capital Territory flanks it in the West. The state has a total land area of 26,875.59 square kilometers and a population of about 1,826,883, according to the 2006 population Census estimate with a density of about 67 persons per square kilometer.
Nasarawa State is made up of thirteen
Local Government Areas, namely, Akwanga, Awe, Doma, Karu, Keana, Kokona,
Lafia, Nasarawa, Nasarawa Eggon, Obi, Toto, Wamba and Keffi. The people
of Nasarawa state includes among others; the Gwandara, Alago, Eggon,
Gbagi, Egbira, Migili, Kantana, Fulani, Hausa, Kanuri, Tiv, Afo, Gade,
Nyankpa, Koro, Jukun, Mada, Ninzam, Buh, Basa, Agatu, Arum, Kulere, and
also settler groups like the Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa.
PHYSIOGRAPHY
The general topography of Nasarawa State
is that of hills/ dissected terrain, undulating plains and lowlands. A
look at the state from the south to the north shows that the southern
local government areas of Awe, Doma, Nasarawa and Toto are bounded by
the river Benue in the south. Its valley and troughs extend inland for
some 30 kilometers and it is made up of flood plains lying generally
below 250 metres. The flood plains further protrude inland along the
coast of rivers Dep, Mada, Guma, Ayini and Farin Ruwa which are the
major rivers draining into the river Benue. The area consists of very
fertile alluvial soil deposited by the seasonal flood of river Benue.
The hydromorphic soil provides a
generally level plain, except where it is broken by the folded features
of Awe to the south east and those of Toto to the south west. The flood
plains cover some 25 per cent of the state landmass. The flood plains
give way to a rolling topography which is quite extensive and it covers
about 52 per cent of Nasarawa State. The undulating plain has a general
altitude of about 400 meters above sea level with notable inselberg
occurrences. The soils in this region are those of sandstones derived
from old sedimentary rocks with extensive occurrences of lateritic
crust. Hills and dissected terrains occupy a sizeable portion of
Nasarawa state and are scattered all over the land mass with height
range of between 600 – 1200 meters. The northern part of the state has a
greater concentration with the Monkwa hills in the northeast and the
Mada rolling hills stretching from Wamba through Akwanga down to
Nasarawa Eggon local government areas. The Rafin gabas hills are a
prominent feature in Kokona L.G.A., while the north western borders of
the state are flanked by hill ranges. In the southern part of the state,
high relief features also occurs in Toto and Awe local government
areas. Soils at the foot of these hills are mostly volcanic in nature
and therefore loamy and rich, while the higher grounds are characterized
by thin soil.
The physical features of the State are
partly mountainous, some of which are rocky and of undulating highlands
to average height of about 1,400m above sea level.
Areas such as Nasarawa, Nassarawa Eggon,
Wamba, Keffi and Akwanga are generally hilly and rocky, while areas such
as Lafia, Doma, Awe and Keana are fairly of plain terrains. The river
Benue has its tributaries covering other parts of the State.
CLIMATE
The State has a climate typical of the
tropical zone because of its location and is quite pleasant. It has a
maximum and minimum temperature of 81.7ᵒ F and 16.7ᵒ F respectively.
Rainfall varies from 131.73cm in some places to 145cm in others. The
months of December, January and February are cold due to harmattan wind
blowing across the State from the North-East. It is characterized by two
distinct seasons: dry and rainy. The dry season spans from November to
February, while the rainy season is from March to October.
MINERAL RESOURCES Nasarawa
state is richly endowed with a variety of solid minerals of various
categories ranging from precious metals to various gemstones and also
industrial minerals such as barites, gypsum, kaolin and marble. Much of
these are yet to be exploited. Statistically, the level of exploitation
of these minerals is very low in relation to the extent of deposits
found in the state. One of the objectives of this administration is to
ensure the orderly exploration and exploitation of the mineral resources
of the state.
There are tremendous opportunities for
investments in the solid mineral sector and some of the mineral
resources that are found in Nasarawa state are yet to be fully
exploited. These minerals include among others, coal and tin, iron ore,
limestone, niobium, lead and zinc.
COAL
High-medium volatile bituminous coals
with vitrinite reflectivity in the range of 0.70 to 1.20 per cent occur
within the Awgu Formation and widely exposed in outcrops along the bank
of River Dep at Shankodi near Jangwa and in the
Obi-Agwatashi-Jangerigeri areas. These coal deposits are of the best
quality in Nigerian and have been assessed to be suitable for coke
making in steel manufacture. The vitrinite reflectance values of the
coals (0.70 to 1.20 per cent) also fall within the oil generation
window. Coal beds are now widely known to be a major source of oil and
gas and are becoming increasingly exploration targets for hydrocarbon
accumulations in many parts of the world.
BARYTES
Barytes is the chief constituent of
lithopone paint and it is also extensively used as an inert volume and
weight filler in drilling mud, rubber, glass, paper and in the chemical
industry. Veins of barytes up to 1.8m wide and more than a kilometer
long are associated with lead-zinc lodes in many parts of Nasarawa
State. The principal known occurrences are at Azara, Aloshi, Akiri, Wuse
and Keana. Reserves of about 100,000 tonnes of good quality barytes
have been discovered in Azara by the Nigerian Mining Corporation.
LEAD AND ZINC
Lead is used in the manufacture of cable
coverings, pigments and storage batteries. Other uses of zinc include
galvanizing steel plate, the manufacture of brass and other alloys,
rubber vulcanizing, and the production of pigments and certain medicines
and chemicals. Lead and zinc deposits occur within the sedimentary
successions at Arufu, Akwana, Azara, Keana and Awe.
PRECIOUS METALS
Precious metals are a valuable source of
foreign exchange and their exploitation in a large scale can also
promote the establishment of other ancillary industries in Nasarawa
state. In Nasarawa State, some quantities of gold deposits occur in
pegmatite-quartz veins within Precambrian basement rocks in Wamba. The
Metasedimentary rocks in Toto, Udegbe, Gadabuke, Laminga and Nasarawa
are also contains some gold deposits with mode of occurrence similar to
those in Schist Belts.
GEMSTONES
Like the precious metals, gemstones can
be an important source of income for Nasarawa state. There are varieties
of gemstones and the important ones in terms of quantity are
aquamarine, emeralds, sapphire, ruby, topaz, tourmaline, zircon and
almandine. Most of the gemstones occur in pegmatites and quartz veins in
rocks of the Basement Complex and Younger Granites in Nasarawa State.
AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES
Given its abundant resources which range
from soil based, agro resources and ecotourism, all that is needed for
economic transformation is entrepreneurship, credit facilities and
enhanced massive influx of foreign investment.
The State also has vast arable land for
commercial farming, fishery development, wildlife and forestry
conservation. Agriculture, therefore, is the mainstay of the economy of
the State with over 70% of the population involved in subsistence
farming.
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