ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AS A VIABLE TOOL IN PREVENTING GROUNDWATER POLLUTION IN NIGERIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24193/subbgeogr.2021.1.01Keywords:
groundwater, pollution, aquifer, environment, education.Abstract
The study focused on the use of environmental education, particularly at elementary level, to prevent groundwater degradation in Nigeria. This is especially germane because of the relative advantage of groundwater over other sources of water because of its near universal availability, dependability and low capital cost; groundwater remains the preferred source of water in most parts of the country. The development and management of the resource remains central to the success of rural and urban development programmes. Issues discussed in the research include importance of groundwater in meeting supply challenges imposed by ineffective and inefficient public water supply in Nigeria, groundwater resources and use in the country, sources of groundwater pollution, the need for environmental education and developments and techniques in environmental education. The research concluded by suggesting the need for environmental education, particularly at elementary level in addressing problems of environmental degradation and groundwater pollution in particular. This is considered appropriate because, once a good environmental attitude is developed in children, it will be very difficult for them to change their behavior negatively toward matters concerning the environment.References
Ada, P.D. and Abok, G. (2013), Challenges of Urban Water Management in Nigeria: The Way Forward, Journal of Environmental Science and Research Management, 3, 111-121.
Adedoyin, F.A. (1988), Teacher Preparation in Population Education, Nigerian Journal of Curriculum Studies, Special Edition, 3, 11-16.
Ajibade, L.T. (1998), Deforestation and its Control in Kwara State. Priority for Action, Urban and Regional Affairs, 2 (1) 14-17.
Anijah-Obi, F., Eneji, O.O., Ubom, B.A.E., Dunnamah, A.Y. and William, J.J. (2013), Introducing Environmental Sanitation Education in the Primary Curriculum, International Research Journals, 4 (3), 227-230.
Awofolu, O. (2006), Elemental Contamination in Groundwater: A Study of Trace Metals from Residential Area in the Vicinity of an Industrial Area in Lagos, Nigeria, The Enviromentalist, 26 (4), 265-293.
Ayoade, J.O. (1988), Tropical Hydrology and Water Resources, Agbo Areo Publishers, Ibadan.
Azeez, I.O. (1972), Rural Water Supply in the Basement Complex of Western States, Nigeria, IASH Bulletin, 17 (1), 97-110.
Federal Ministry of Water Resources FMWR (2013), Innovative Funding of the Water Sector. Presidential Summit Address on Water, Forward Journal of Environmental Science and Resource Management, 5 (1), 111-121.
Govindaswamy, V. (2006), Importance of Environmental Education for Sustainable Development, accessed at http://wgbis.ces.iisc.ernet.in/biodiversity/sahyadri_enes/newsletter on 6th September, 2019.
Griffith, J.F., Weisburg, S.B. and McGee, C.D. (2003), Evaluation of Microbial Source Tracking Methods Using Mixed Fecal Sources in Aqueous Test Samples, Journal of Water Health, 1, 141-151.
Herbert, C. and Doll, P. (2019), Global Assessment of Current and Future Groundwater Stress with a Focus on Transboundary Aquifers, Water Resources Research, 55, 4760-4784, accessed at https://doi.org/10.1029/2018WR023321 on 21st January, 2021.
Ijaiya, H. and Joseph, O.T. (2013), Rethinking Environmental Law Enforcement in Nigeria, Beijing Law Review, 5, 306-321.
Iroye, K.A. (2014), Challenges of Water Resources Development and Management in Nigeria, Ilorin Journal of Management Sciences, 1 (1), 197-207.
Iroye, K.A. (2010), Deforestation and Sustainable Watershed Management, Environmental Issues, 3 (1), 71-81.
JICA (2014), The Project for Review and Update of Nigeria National Water Resources Masterplan, Vol. 2, Japan International Cooperation Agency Publication.
Jimoh, H.I. and Ajibade, L.T. (1995), Environmental Education on Soil Erosion Problems in Nigeria: An Overview, Ilorin Journal of Education, 16, 39-45.
Landrigan, P.J., Schechter, C.B., Lipton, J.M., Fahs, M.C. and Schwartz, J. (2002), Environmental Pollutant and Disease in American Children: Estimates of Morbidity, Mortality and Cost for Lead Poisoning. Asthma, Cancer and Developmental Disabilities, Center for Children’s Health and Environment Report, available at www.childrenenvironment.org.
Lar, U.A., Bata, T.P., Dibal, H.U., Daspan, R.I., Isah, L.C., Fube, A.A. and Bsasi, D.A. (2018), Field Petrographic and Geochemical Study of Basement, Clastic and Carbonate Petroleum Reservoirs in the northern Benue Trough, Nigeria, Petrol. Technol. Dev. J., 8 (2), 36-52.
Lee, S.H., Levy, D.A., Beach, M.J. and Calderon, R.L. (2002), Surveillance for Waterborne Disease Outbreak in United States 1999-2000, MMWR Report, 22, 1-17.
Miller, T.G. and Spoolman, S.E (2011), Living in the Environment: Concepts, Connection and Solutions, 16th Edition, Brooks / Cole, Belmont, CA.
National Environmental Education Advisory Council (2000), Report to Congress on Status of Environmental Education in USA.
Odigie, D. and Fajemirokun, B. (2005), Water Justice in Nigeria: Crisis or Challenge, Proceedings of the International Workshop on Water, Poverty and Social Crisis, Agadir, Morocco.
Ofomata, G.E.K. and Phil-Eze, P.O. (2007), Introduction, in Ofomata, G.E.K. and Phil-Eze, P.O. (eds), Geographical Perspectives on Environmental Problems and Management in Nigeria, Jamoe Publishers, Enugu.
Ogbeibu, T. (2007), Environmental Education, accessed at www.academia.edu/1190268/constraint on 7th Feb. 2019.
Ogidiolu, A. and Balogun, F.T. (2000), Techniques of Environmental Monitoring and Management, in Jimoh, H.I. and Ifabiyi, I.P. (eds), Contemporary Issues in Environmental Studies, Haytee Press and Publishing Co. Ltd.
Okeola, O.G. (2005), Public-Private Partnership Initiative: A Model to Accomplish United Nation’s MDGs, Proceedings of National Engineering Conference, Kano, Nigeria.
Okeola, O.G. (2009), Development and Application of Multicriteria Decision Support Models for Sustainable Operation of an Urban Water Supply System, Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Ilorin, Nigeria.
Okeola, O.G. and Salami, A.W. (2014), Groundwater Resources in the Nigeria’s Quest for United Nation’s Millenium Development Goals and Beyond, Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, 16 (4), 57-71.
Okpala, M. (1997), Environmental Education, accessed at www.linkedin.com/pub/mariokpala/11/770b on 7th February 2019.
Omorinbola, E.O. (1984), Groundwater Resources in the Tropical African Regolith, Proceedings of the Harare Symposium on Challenges in Africa, Hydrology and Water Resources, IAHS Publication, 144, 15-23.
Otu, N.E. (2010), An Evaluation of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency Act, paper presented at the Abia State College of Postgraduate Studies, Faculty of Law, Nigeria.
Radeiski, J. (2009), Implementation of Environmental Education in Elementary Schools: A Comparative Study between Sweden and Germany, Unpublished M.Sc Dissertation, Blekinge Tekniska Hogskola, Karlskrona, Sweden.
Soladoye, O. (2012), Assessment of Groundwater Quality Among Land-use Mix in Lagos State, Nigeria, Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, Dept. of Geog. And Env. Mgt., University of Ilorin, Nigeria.
Sule, B.F., Agunbiade, M., Adeogun, A.G. and Ihagh, G. (2016), Small Town Water Supply: Situational Assessment of Shao, Kwara State, Nigeria, Journal of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, 13 (4), 48-53.
Thathong, K. (2012), A Spiritual Dimension and Environmental Education: Buddhism and Environmental Crisis, Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 46, 5063-5068.
Thompson, B. and Hoffman, J. (2003), Measuring the Success of Environmental Education Programmes, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society Report, http://macaw.pbworks.com/f/measuring_ee_outcomes.pdf.
Tijani, M.N., Crane, E., Upton, K., and O’Dochartaigh, B. (2016), Groundwater Atlas: Hydrogeology of Nigeria, British Geological Survey, accessed at http://earthwise.bags.ac.uk/index.php/hydrology on 22nd August, 2016.
Tindimugaya, C. (2005), Groundwater Development and Protection and the Rural/ Urban Interface, Seminar on Groundwater and Poverty Reduction in Africa, Hydrogeological Group, The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London.
UN (2018), The Perfect Storm: Pathway to Managing India’s Water Sector Sustainably, Publication of UN Council of Energy, Environment and Water.
USEPA (2003), Managing Arsenic Risks to the Environment: Characterization of Waste, Chemistry, Treatment and Disposal, Proceedings of Workshop by National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Report No EPA/B25/R-03/010.
WHO (2000), Water Supply and Sanitation Council. Global Water Supply and Sanitation Assessment Report, New York, UNICEF.
Wiggan, C.A., Richards, D.J. and Powrie, W. (2013), Numerical Modelling of Groundwater Flow around Contiguous Pile Retaining Walls, Proceedings of the 18th Int. Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Paris, 2127-2130.
World Bank (2002), Water Resources Sector Strategy: Strategic Directions for World Bank Engagement, Draft accessed at http://inweb18.worldbank.org/ESSD/essdsxt.nsf/18DocByunid/ on 22nd July, 2004.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2021 Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Geographia
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
©Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai Geographia. Published by Babeș-Bolyai University.