Impact of Stone Quarrying on the Environment and the Livelihood of Communities in Mandera County, Kenya

Felix Ming’ate,Mohamed Mohamed

doi:10.9734/jsrr/2016/24945

Abstract

Background: Stone quarrying is one of the major practices carried out in the world by the construction industry. In Kenya and specifically in Mandera County area, stone quarrying industry has grown rapidly in recent years. Objective: This study thus aims at examining the impact that stone quarrying has had on the environment and the livelihood of the communities in Mandera County, Kenya. Methods: Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used for data collections and analysis. Results: The study found that stone quarrying has significantly contributed to the incomes of the stone workers, quarry owners and the community. In contrast it was found that stone quarrying also contributes towards negative impacts to the community such as degradation of land and vegetation cover, and affects the health of the residents, for example muscle pain among many quarry workers, cough/asthma, eye problem and malaria. Conclusion: The study recommends that in response to the negative human and environmental impacts experienced in Mandera County, there is need to use technologies that are user and Original Research Article Ming’ate and Mohamed; JSRR, 10(5): 1-9, 2016; Article no.JSRR.24945 2 environmentally friendly and rehabilitation of quarries after use if the communities have to continue enjoying the improved livelihood due to stone quarrying.

Highlights

Stone quarrying is a form of land use method concerned with the extraction of non-fuel and non-metal minerals from rocks [1]
The purpose of this paper was to examine the impacts of stone quarrying on the environment and the livelihood of communities in Mandera County, Kenya
The above findings justifies the fact that since many of people in Mandera County practice pastoralism as there source of livelihood, they mainly use land for grazing of their livestock and the fact that most of quarry sites are on hills which mainly serve as a water catchment area

Summary

Introduction

Stone quarrying is a form of land use method concerned with the extraction of non-fuel and non-metal minerals from rocks [1]. Some studies in the Northern Region of Ghana and East Gonja District in particular found that commercial extraction of sand and gravel cause land degradation and desertification through destruction of economically important trees mostly indigenous in nature [5,6]. This degradation of environment due to stone quarrying activities has put forth questions as to whether or not the mining activities should be continued [7,4]. Conclusion: The study recommends that in response to the negative human and environmental impacts experienced in Mandera County, there is need to use technologies that are user and

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion