EFFECTS OF SOIL EROSION IN EMERGING URBAN CENTRE OF AFUZE
ABSTRACT
Soil erosion is a means that needs to be controlled in order to forestall its danger in any locality. It is the realization of this fact which made the residents of Afuze to attempt to control this problem of soil erosion in their environment. This study reveals several eorts that have been made in the past years to control soil erosion, but so far these attempts have not been appraised before now. It was the need to fill this gap which necessitated this project. The project therefore attempted to find out whether past control measures succeeded or failed and the eects of soil in Afuze. A survey was carried out using questionnaire, visual examination was also conducted around Afuze. A hypothesis was tested, from observation and the analysis of the questionnaires, it was obvious that the type of soil found in Afuze has militated against the attempt of controlling soil erosion, the living habits of the people, the haphazard and nature of development as well as the ineective materials used by the construction companies. The result of the hypothesis was negative, as a result of the above, several recommendation were made and these include the fact that the government
should organize a public enlighten campaign to teach the people how to approach the problem of soil erosion
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Soil erosion is a problem that needs to be controlled in order to forestall its danger in any locally, soil is fundamental to all land use and care has to be taken to ensure that it is not misused or destroyed. Most of this soil erosion is caused by the interference of man through human activities and ignorance. Mismanagement in soil use greatly accelerates this erosion process. Soil is one of our most precious resources, the loss of this resources through land degradation process in an urban areas such as soil erosion, is one of the most serious environmental problems we are faced with as a gradual process that occurs when the actions of water wind, and other factors eat away and wear down the land causing the soil to deteriorate or disappear completely. Soil erosion/deterioration and low quality of water due to erosion and run o has oen become a major problem around the world. Soil erosion is one form of soil degradation along with soil compaction, low organic matter, loss of soil structure, poor internal drainage, Salinization, and soil acidity problems. These other forms of soil degradation, serious in themselves, usually contribute to accelerated soil erosion, therefore humans obviously need to be much more knowledgeable about this problem.
Much has been written in academic papers about erosion. Apart from the writings of the academic works, a lot of things have been said concerning erosion problem all over the world, to the extent that erosion is almost becoming a household word. The paper, medium, Internet and in literature books, has written much about erosion, its cause and eect in Nigeria and rest of the world. Erosion attacks human endeavors in various sectors. Its ugly eects can be seen both in rural and urban sectors of not only Nigeria but countries all over the world. In the urban sector, the danger of erosion manifest itself in the form of destruction of peoples property (washed out houses) and the destruction of road and streets. Deep gullies oen
cut o the urban streets thereby denying the residents from motorized access to their houses. The
rural area is not spared from the destruction as most of their crops are oen washed away. Some of the rural settlements have no motor able roads since their roads have been destroyed by erosion. Erosion also removes top soil which contains the plant nutrient thereby leaving the soil impoverished and unproductive. Besides making agricultural soil unproductive, erosion of agricultural land and runo result in the deposition of soil particles in unwanted area’s (sedimentation of roads, creeks, e.t.c) with all its negative consequence for traic Furthermore, the importance of soil erosion control is not restricted to the maintenance of the productive potential and fertility of soil for future generation. It is also an effective means to ensure employment in urban and rural areas and reduce urban and rural exodus. Efficient erosion control is
therefore very advantageous from the ecological and social perspectives, besides being highly significant from an economic point of view. Therefore the study of such a phenomenon as harmful as this deserves attention. Any expansion on its study is not a waste of time.