Urbanization, a process of entrenching urban physical, economic and social tendencies and urban expansion which refers to the spatial component of urbanization are contemporary issues that have continued to attract world’s attention since the beginning of this century. There has been no single human activity or endeavor in these days greater than urbanization and urban expansion that continues to exert serious challenge for a sustainable environment particularly in developing countries like Nigeria. In this study, non parametric data was obtained from a rapidly urbanizing urban center, Katsina, Nigeria, and evaluated for the assessment of the immediate and subsequent implications on sustainable environment. Data for the study was generated through a set of Geographic Information System (GIS) tools, structured interview and researcher observation between the period 3rd May and 5th June, 2016 and analyzed for a number of urban growth and development indicators. Results obtained have shown serious planning and management challenges in the study area. It is recommended that for the sustainability of the Nigerian urban environment and Metropolitan Katsina in particular, healthy urbanization, growth and development in our urban centers must be encouraged. Appropriate legislation must be provided and government agencies should undertake and intensify enforcement of existing planning control laws and regulations in addition to appropriate public enlightenment.
Sustainable environment have at least from the beginning of this century been a global challenge. Rapid urban expansion without effective environmental consciousness means that in virtually every urban center, a substantial proportion of the population is at risk from both natural and human-induced environmental hazards (Lawanson, 1986).
The most serious problems confronting cities, towns and their inhabitants today are those relating to overwhelming population increases leading to an uncontrolled explosive nature of growth. In many of these urban centers, rapid population increases coupled with unplanned informal settlement development is manifested in severe homelessness and growth of squatter settlements, characterized by high security challenges and rising crime rates. Other
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problems are those relating to inadequate and deteriorating building stock, services and infrastructure, lack of health and educational facilities, improper land use, insecure land tenure, rising traffic congestion, increasing pollution, lack of green spaces, inadequate water supply and sanitation, uncoordinated urban development and an increasing vulnerability to disaster (Lawanson, 2006). This, as identified in Agenda 21(1996) of the Millennium Development Goals, have seriously continued to challenge the capacity of governments at all levels to realize the socio-economic development and environmental protection components of sustainable development. Over the last few decades, Nigeria has witnessed an extensive drift with an accelerated shift of her populations from rural to urban areas. This rapid rate of urbanization and accompanying urban growth has created serious environmental challenges and problems similar to those identified elsewhere in particularly other developing countries of the world. Hence the Nigerian city of today is typified by substandard and inadequate housing, slums, and lack of infrastructure, transportation problems, low productivity, poverty, crime and juvenile delinquency (Mabogunje, 2002). The root cause of the high rates of environmental degradation, pollution and social delinquency according to Mabogunje (2002), is urbanization. Unplanned or inadequately managed urban expansion leads to rapid sprawl, pollution, and environmental degradation, together with unsustainable production and consumption patterns. Sustainable environment is the key to sustainable development. This was why the United Nations Millennium Declaration adopted in September 2000, committed countries of the world; both rich and poor, to do all they can to eradicate poverty, promote human dignity and equality and achieve peace, democracy and environmental stability. The goals include those dedicated to ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development. This was aimed at addressing the problem of poverty and to promote sustainable environment and enhance development. Nigeria is a signatory to the Millennium Declaration and has a responsibility to implement these goals. Sustainable development as defined by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (WCED, 1987). A sustainable environment is therefore one that provides
the needs of the present without compromising its ability to provide for future generations. The primary objective of sustainable development in general is to reduce the absolute poverty of the world’s poor through providing lasting and secure livelihoods that minimize resource depletion, environmental degradation, cultural disruption and social instability. Many researchers in Nigeria and elsewhere have studied the processes of urbanization and its inherent consequences on the immediate and the surrounding environment. Lawanson (2006) studied the challenges of sustainability and urban development in Nigeria with particular reference to the implementation of the millennium Development Goals of the United Nations. Ibrahim and Bello (2015) studied urban environmental problems and the issue of sustainable urban policy in Nigeria. They lamented on the poor policy implementation of environmental planning and development. Ruma (2009) studied urban irrigation farming and its urban planning implications in Katsina urban area, Nigeria and discovered that urban land use planning and urban agriculture seem to be in conflict. Zango (2009) also in his studies on environmental hazard and sustainable urban agriculture in Katsina metropolis identified that the need for the preservation of agricultural land and the need for adequate space for urban expansion are two conflicting goals and the economic implications of converting limited rural (agricultural) resources to urban use in a naturally vulnerable environment such as Katsina city should never be underestimated. Peter and Olugbile (1987) in their assessment of rural land conversion to urban land in a semi arid area of Nigeria, based on multi-temporal remote sensing data discovered that urban and urban land uses transform rapidly at much faster rates, usually accompanied with perceptible and in most cases, precipitous conversion of prime agricultural land to urban purposes creating four major kinds of imbalances; mainly between the rural (agricultural) and the urban sectors, between the levels of development of different city regions, and between the regional social groups within the urban center. Many of these studies however, are focused on the implications of poor urban development policy implementation or on urban expansion on agricultural and rural land (Farm lands, forestry, gardens, and reserves). This study is therefore an attempt to bridge the information gap on the relationship between urban expansion and environmental sustainability. It examines the challenges of urban development and urban expansion and its implications on environmental
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sustainability in Nigeria with particular reference to Katsina, a rapidly urbanizing and environmentally vulnerable city at the fringes of the Sahara. The challenges of urban development and sustainable environment in Nigeria
Urban development problems in Nigeria include both socio-economic and environmental challenges. Since the beginning of the new millennium 2000 the world continues to witness the greatest and fastest migration into towns and cities. It is based on this that the new millennium was considered as the Urban Millennium with more than half of the world’s people living in towns and cities. The population of developing countries living in urban centres is expected to reach 50 percent in the year 2020. Just three countries—India, China and Nigeria— together are expected to account for 37 per cent of the projected growth of the world’s urban population between 2014 and 2050. India is projected to add 404 million urban dwellers, China 292 million and Nigeria 212 million (UN, 2014). Since the urge and desire for rapid urbanization and development in most developing countries of the world require spaces on which infrastructural development could take place, there is therefore the dilemma of land use change and successions in many of our urban centers. An accelerated shift of populations from rural to urban centers in all the regions of the country have placed a heavy demand on urban administrations for not only accommodations, but generally all the life supporting requirements of the individual. These include employment, food, general physical and social amenities and infrastructure (Education, Health and Security) and basic life requirements supplied by the environment in the form of air, water and a favorable condition for ecological stability. Rapid increase in urban populations has resulted in the proliferation of slums and informal peri-urban settlements otherwise referred to as shanty towns by many scholars. These settlements are normally characterized by excessive residential densities, largely uninhabitable housing and the absence of sanitation, basic infrastructure and social services (Aina, 1990). They harbor migrants from the rural areas who are unable to fit into the economy of the city and so tend to find solace in informal activities and crime. The proliferation of these shanty towns results in the unwieldy expansion of the urban centers which poses a major planning problem as provision and management of roads, drainage and sewage systems among other infrastructure proves very difficult. A direct
consequence of urbanization, they cause increases in the incidence of urban poverty, diseases and epidemics, environmental pollution, urban conflicts and crime (Lawanson, 2006). The Earth Summit (UNCED), which took place in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, recognized the pressing environment and development problems of the world through the adoption of Agenda 21 which stresses the importance of partnerships in improving social, economic and environmental quality in urban areas. It emphasizes renewed focus on effective land use planning to include adequate environmental infrastructure, water, sanitation, drainage, transportation and solid waste management, in addition to a sound social infrastructure. The Earth Summit broadened environmental issues and emphasized the synergies with other social and economic policy issues (Afonja, 1999). Metropolitan Katsina and the challenges for sustainable environment
A number of challenges for sustainability have been observed in the pattern of growth and urbanization tendencies of metropolitan Katsina, Nigeria. These are results of researcher observations involving the major quarters of the city and participant discussions and structured interviews with residents and planning administrators of the study area within the period 3rd May and 5th June, 2015. The most important of these challenges are: 1. Proliferation of slum and squatter settlements.
Mass immigration into the town and excessively high population growth has resulted into the proliferations of slums around the cheap and environmentally vulnerable areas of the city. Extensive portions of the city have been observed to accommodate the low income and poverty ridden members of the society. These quarters including the Katsira quarters, Tudun Yan Lihidda, Layin zana, Bayan Daji, Kukar Gesa/ Lambun Dan Lawan, Rahamawa, Jan Bango, Lambobi, Lambun Sarki at Kofar Marusa and many more are quarters that lack any form of planning. Theses quarters are generally susceptible to many forms of natural but human induced disasters including fire and flooding. They are generally informal peri-urban settlements otherwise identified by Aina (1990), as shanty towns, usually deprived of basic social amenities and characterized by excessive residential densities, largely uninhabitable housing and the absence of sanitation, basic infrastructure and social services (Aina, 1990). They harbor migrants from the immediate mother quarters who
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move out to find solace in the cheap and highly affordable residential land and those from rural areas. Most of these migrants are unable to fit into the economy of the city and are mostly engaged in informal activities and crime.
2. Massive deforestation and Loss of agricultural land. From the year 2000 to the year 2016, about 5 km2 of agricultural land comprising of forest reserves and orchards was converted into residential and other purposes. In the year 2000, a total area of 19.75 km2 (24.2%) of the 81.5km2 metropolitan development area was built up for residential and other purposes. These further grew to 24.6 km2 by December 2016. The increase was essentially from the prime agricultural land. These values obtained from interpretation of a set of satellite imageries for the years December, 2000 and December, 2016 and the pattern of growth and land use change are provided in Table 1 and Figure 1a & 1b. Table 1: Katsina city: Land use Changes from 1976 to 2016
Over the last ten years; between 2006 and 2016, the walled city of Katsina have stretched out from the existing boundary in the east to an estimated 25 kilometers to as far as Magamar Ajiwa Along Mani Road, Kayauki along Daura Road, Shinkafi/Yan Daki along Kaita Road. In the west it has incorporated hamlets and farm steads as far as an estimated 12 kilometers. In the south, it has produced an agglomeration of all neighboring villages and towns to as far as an estimated distance of 18 kilometers. In the north, it has expanded to an estimated distance of 5 kilometers. Today, the city’s boundary has extended to an average diameter of about 22 kilometers taking over estimated tens of thousands of square kilometers of forestry and agricultural land. Urbanization also led to agricultural land degradation due to construction activities and dumping of factory waste. These activities causes soil erosion, solemnization and water logging that can rob soil of its productivity.
Figure 1a: Land use map of metropolitan Katsina, December, 2000.
Figure 1b: Land use map of metropolitan Katsina, December, 2016
CLASS/TYPE 1976 (km2)
% 1986 (km2)
% 2000 (km2)
% 2016 (km2)
%
Built-up Area 4.9 6 9.4 11.5 19.7 24.2 24.6 30.1
Farmlands 54.5 66.6 60.7 74.3 37.1 45.4 41.8 51.1
Forest 22.3 27.4 11.3 13.8 24.5 30.1 15.1 18.5
Territory Sum 81.7 100 81.4 99.6 81.4 99.7 81.5 99.7
(a)
(b)
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3. Loss of Employment in the peasant production industry. The consequences of urbanization in urban Katsina included a sharp rise in the price of farm land, subdivision of farm land by farmers and selling the plots in open market in order to avoid land acquisition by government, artificial scarcity of agricultural land, fragmentation of existing agricultural land and land owners are made land less by either government through expropriation or by voluntary sell by the farmers in the open market.
4. Conversion of the prime open spaces into residential, commercial, and industrial uses. 100% of all open spaces identified in the area in 1987 (Danjuma, 1987) were taken over by urban development programmes. Other functional open spaces have also been affected. Many spaces marked as sporting fields and urban green have also been converted to urban residential uses.
5. Interruption of ecological bio-diversity. The total and permanent clearance of the city wall plantations surrounding the old Katsina town, the clearance of the decades old Kabakawa forest reserve, the interference with the Ginzo and Tilla streams and their surrounding fadama and flood plains have resulted into serious disruption in the aquatic, and general ecological structure of the fragile sudano- sahelian environment. A land that was characterized by active bio-diversity, have now been converted into a barren land with little or in some section minimal presence of plants and animals. This presents a challenge for the maintenance of ecological and climatic balance in the area.
6. An increased source of pollution: Point and non
point sources of pollution of the primary streams dissecting the city were also identified. In a preceding study by the author (Danjuma, 2014) varying number of pathogenic and chemical pollutants were identified in the water. Industrialization’s effect on the environment is also noteworthy. While motor vehicles are the primary cause of pollution in cities, increased demand for energy, largely from gasoline generators, to run electrical appliances is contributing to pollution in many parts of the city. This is because it involves burning fossil fuels, which releases such greenhouse gases as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. The direct release of human feces and dumping of house hold waste into the Ginzo and Tilla streams poses serious hazard for human health and environmental safety. The
release of industrial effluents from the dairy processing factories in the city also poses another challenge for environmental sustainability.
7. Increased vulnerability to flooding, erosion and
storm damage. The environment provides all life support systems with air, water and land as well as the materials for fulfilling all developmental aspirations of man. Activities of man are undoubtedly assuming greater importance as a cause of flooding. As urbanization intensifies, natural surfaces are replaced, which do not allow water to percolate readily into the ground. The stone paving of a large part of the Ginzo stream has presented serious implications on ground water recharge as a result of minimal infiltration. The effect is that a large proportion of the rainfall which should normally infiltrate into the soil or be intercepted by the vegetation and thus be delayed for some time before running off, is immediately available for surface run-of into streams and rivers, making them flood. In some quarters of the city particularly around Tashar Gagare, Layin Zana, Bayan Daji, Yammawa, Kofar Sauri, Kofar Kaura, Tudun Yan Lihidda and many more areas of the city is worsened by human negative interaction with the environment. Hence, it has been induced by man’s misuse and significant alteration in the environment. Human activities have led to a high increase in flood deaths and damages. Presently, flood contributes to about 39% of global death from natural disasters (Miller, 1999). Many of the new quarters of the study area are especially vulnerable to flooding, erosion and storm damage essentially due to unplanned development and general lack of drainage and storm water management structures. Invariably, these natural disasters in the city affect members of low-income groups disproportionately because they often live in unsafe housing on vulnerable lands. The loss of homes, possessions, and often livelihood because of a natural disaster often leads to further impoverishment.
In general, the land use change and interactions that occur in metropolitan Katsina between the year 2000 and December 2016 is depicted in Figure 2 developed from the overlay of satellite imageries of the two periods.
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Figure 2: Overlaid Maps of development of Katsina municipal from 1976 to 2016.
CONCLUSION
Data obtained for this study and subsequent analysis have shown the dynamic and complex nature of urban centers and the need to continuously monitor and properly manage their growth and development. The need to monitor these changes in their physical and social characteristics is necessary for healthy development and sustainable environment. The growth of urban centers in any country is an indication of increased economic development. However, many of our urban centers as observed in the case of metropolitan Katsina don’t only grow but explode in most instances due to strong and peculiar influences. These reasons are usually economic, political and most importantly demographic as obtained in this study. This study have also illustrated how Geographic Information System tools can be important in the assessment and monitoring of urban growth and land use change over a period of time. For environmental sustainability in our urban centers, necessary infrastructure should be developed and appropriate policies should be provided and implemented to ensure that the benefits of city life are equitably shared. Development and planning control
agencies in Nigerian cities should ensure close monitoring of urban land use and its dynamics and establish a data base for proper planning of our urban centers. There should be and encouraged housing sector by the provision of enabling environment for private residential development. A very important thing is the intensification of environmental health awareness and community sensitization campaign for better understanding among the people. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The author wishes to acknowledge the assistance of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) for the Imageries used for this work. CONFLICT OF INTEREST
None declared. REFERENCES
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Article’s citation Danjuma K (2017). Urbanization and urban expansion in Nigeria and its implications on sustainable environment: Metropolitan Katsina as a case study. Ew J Arts Sociol 2(1): 19 - 25.
