Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

ASSESSMENT OF PEOPLE'S PERCEPTION ON THE LINKAGES BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN GWAGWALADA TOWN, FCT.

S. lshaya and Maisamari Grace

Abstract

Despite the fact that the linkages that exit between environmental sustainability and economic development is dynamic, complex, and difficult to understand in all ramifications; it can still be comprehend in terms of three fundamental roles that environmental condition assert in determining extend of socio-economic development as well as extend of poverty. Natural resources which the environment provides such as land, water, forest and biodiversity resources, influences to a great extent the livelihoods of people. The environmental conditions in the other hand which people are exposed to such as indoor and urban air pollution, water pollution, vector borne diseases and toxic substances discharge onto the environment affect the health status of people living within the environment. Over the years much environmental study has focused on global issues rather than on urban slums as well as local people perception in developing setting. A total of 480 questionnaires were administered to households, 40 from each units of the town randomly. Opinion statements were utilized to revealed inhabitants' attitudes and perceptions. Information for assessment on characterization of various aspects of inhabitant knowledge and perception on the Linkages between environmental sustainability and socio-economic development were collected. Descriptive statistical tools and graphical representations of data were used to elucidate various patterns of the environmental issues. Relationships between various socio-economic aspects of dependence on environmental sustainability, problems of obtaining alternative resources, effort expended in conserving environmental resources. house holding, and sources of income were explored. 68% of the respondents administered questionnaires to be non- natives of the town while the remaining 32% were natives of the town. (70.2%) of the respondents agreed that the environment is polluted and suffering from degradation due to various human activities, while 12.5% were tndifferent and 17.3% of the respondents were of the opinion that the environment is not polluted. Majority of the respondents express that most of the pollutant that degrade the environment are from untreated waste Oil, dirt, mud, trash ties, uses of generators that emit toxic pollutants into the air, toxic chemicals emitted into the soil, human activities that distort the biodiversity due to excessive de-vegetation as a result of fuelwood harvest and hunting. 64% of the respondents are of the opinion that they are more with sustainability of their immediate environment (Gwagwalada) than Nigeria as whole and the world in general. Significant (81%) of the respondents were of view that the environmental problems are occurring faster than what it use be in the past. 72% of the respondents maintained that there is a link between environment and social way of life. 70% of the respondents agreed that there is need for sustainable use of environmental resources. 77% of the respondents agree that environmental sustainability has positive impact on the environment. Majority 69% of Gwagwalado inhabitants who responded to question 40 agreed that there is a link between environmental sustainability and socioeconomic development.