Urbanisation and its effects on environmental sanitation

Abstract

Rapid population growth especially in the face of poor physical planning, inadequate social infra-structure, and lack of individual and communal sanitary consciousness in a developing economy such as Nigeria, is apt to precipitate poor sanitary practices among the urban inhabitants. There is clear evidence of significant factors responsible for insanitary practices in our urban areas with specific reference to Kaduna Capital Territory, the capital city of Kaduna State, Nigeria. These are inadequate water supply, poor waste collection and disposal systems, unprotected foodstuffs leading to adulteration and contamination, slum housing, pollution of air, land and waterways and poor environmental housekeeping. It was also observed that there were variations in the standards of environmental sanitation in different parts of the city. Recommendations based on the principle of collective responsibility with co-ordinated integrated approach with public health services have been proposed.