STAKEHOLDERS PERSPECTIVE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS ON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

STAKEHOLDERS PERSPECTIVE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS ON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

ABSTRACT

The Environment is mostly threatened severely by so many problems, some of which are caused by various activities of construction projects, more so the global concern to address environmental degradation caused by various developmental actions is basis for calls to assess environmental hazards of building construction projects in Minna- Niger state Nigeria. Data for study were collected through a questionnaire survey administered to stakeholders of Nigeria building construction industry. Data collected were analyzed and ranked using Relative important index (RII), result shows hazards listed are above the mid (RII) index of 3.0 suggesting that they significantly hazards on the environment thereby causing environmental degradation. The research also reveals major environmental hazards of building construction projects to include environmental pollution, resource depletion and habitat destruction causing Destruction of ecosystem, Desertification, soil erosion and increasing material wastage. Waste management, pollution control and ecology conservation were ranked as the most important environmental protection measures used in controlling building construction environmental hazards. The study therefore suggest that in order to reduce environmental degradation, building construction stakeholders must adopt fully environmental hazards assessment document and other regulations relevant for environmental protection. Also, all environmental regulatory agencies and sensitization organizations should continuously sensitize the building construction firms and public on requisite environmental management practice and sanction erring agents.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

 1.1 Background tothe Study

Construction is a key activity in any form of economy and its relevance cannot be under estimated, meanwhile in recent times the nature, incident and hazards of construction projects has become a topic of interest because of its effect and relevance on the environment, nevertheless, it is enormous with uncertainties inherent in different type of projects.

For the sustenance and dynamism of livelihood, every growing society is characterized by the erection of either permanent or a temporary structures/ buildings for the purpose of shelter which is the second necessity of life. Therefore, the quest for housing has increase in urbanization and in or the built environment resulting in various environmental hazards and environmental pollution which has being traced to human activities with construction  a large share of it.

According to Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) (2008), the various environmental hazards may are connected to the mass flooding in areas like Ibadan and Lagos cities of Nigeria as a result of blockage of water  Channels. More so the Mass pollution of water and air in Brass Island of Bayelsa is also traced to human activities such as mining, refining and construction activities (FEPA,2008). The occurrence change and development in Lagos Island peninsula is one of the causes of the recent flooding in Lagos Island.  The coast into which the lagoon extents its banks at the high tide periods has been built up, thereby causing the lagoon to overflow its bank resulting into flooding. A review made by Koleosho &Adeyinka (2006), Horsley (2003) and Hardy (2007), also shows the need for cross examination of the activities of the built environment that causes Environmental changes so as to identify their hazards for the purpose of mitigation. The corroborated of the UN-Habitat report in Nigeria (2004) that “the design, construction, maintenance, and the use of structures involve hazards on the environment; some of these hazards include Energy hazard, Ecological hazards, Visual hazards as well as material hazards. In recent times, nature, incidents and hazards of construction project has become a topic of interest because of its effect on the environment. Construction projects cut across all aspect of Nigeria scene, ranging from providing factories for manufacturing as well as airports, roads for transportation, development of cities, to provision of basic amenities and essential infrastructures facilities.

Building construction projects in Nigeria has a direct and indirect hazards on the environment, in which the Identification of likely hazards on the environment are in order of severity which is task that needs to be accomplished for the realization of a minimum effect of construction project on the environment (Koleoshola Adeyinka, 2006). In section 38 of the 1991 Act of Federal Environmental Protection Agency of Nigeria defines the environment as water, air, land and all plants/animals or human being living therein as well as the inter-relationship that exist between and among them. To this effect, hazards of building construction projects are felt by all the elements that constitute the Environment (Howard 2000 & Chrisna, 2006). The process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and mitigating the biophysical, social and other relevant effects of developmental proposal prior to major commitment is Environmental hazards Assessment (Bartlett and prior, 1991).

In Nigeria activities of the international hazards assessment act are not felt which result to increase in pollution and other environmental degradations, therefore environmental protection requires activities on various levels; by preventing global warming to safeguard living beings. The effects of poor air quality or toxic chemicals and support basic on necessities must also be considered for the survival of human been. The National Environmental Pollution Act 1969 (NEP) has also empowered many government agencies to actively monitor the air pollutants, inspect the emission sources, then provide compliance assistance to the industries as well as  enforcement actions such as educating the public about the air quality issues and the rest as the case may be. This are equally involved in the prevention and regulation of water pollution from industries, in which all this motivate the investigation in the view of stakeholders on the Environmental Hazards of Building Construction Project in Nigeria.

1.2STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

In recently time, environmental hazards has being traced to the human activities with construction projects taking a large share out of it, in which many construction projects has led to environmental hazards in Nigeria and the rest of the world, considering the mass flooding in Ibadan and Lagos cities of Nigeria cause as a result of construction projects which has led to blockage of water ways.

The alarming rate of pollution in Abu Dhabi city of the United Arab Emirate (UAE) is as a result of the teeming growth of construction developments, and this menace is also affecting many other cities in the world, it is in this view that the study of Environmental Hazards of Building Construction Projects is been motivated to provide solution to Environmental degradation and enhance a better and suitable environment.@@The following questions are therefore formulated to assess the hazards of construction projects on the environment:

1. What constitute Environmental hazards of Building construction projects.
2. What are the effects of Environmental hazards of Building construction project as perceived by the various stakeholders.
3. What are the ways of combating Environmental hazards of Building Construction Projects- Nigeria?
4. Can Environmental hazard of building construction projects be reduce or Eliminated?@

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES 

1.3.1 Aim

The aim of this research is to determine the various hazards of construction activities on the environment, also to reveals major environmental hazard of building construction projects to include environmental pollution, resource depletion and soil erosion.

1.3.2 Objectives

To identify Environmental Hazards of the Building Construction Projects.

To assess the Effect of the Hazards on the Environment.

To evaluate stakeholders perspective of Environmental Hazards of Building Construction Projects.

1.4 Justification of the study

Human development and growth will be in a short lived if we do not conserve the natural environment and its resources properly, in view of this, there is need to assess the environmental hazards of building construction projects to promote sustainability construction and enhance a friendly and conducive environment.

The effective protection of the environment is critical to sustainable development (Dietz, York & Rosa. 2001). There is a need globally to join hands and or in protecting and preserving our environment as well as safeguard humanhealth and the ecosystem from hazards. The greatest problem the world is facing today is environmental pollution with increase to irreparable damage to the earth. (Seu, (2009), opined that the built environment provide the beauty evidence for any nation’s development standing while its production stand as the acid test.The study of stakeholder’s perspective of building construction projects will be useful to the client, contractor, consultant, professional bodies, standard organization and the various forms of Government to reduce Environmental pollution, also this will also serve as a bridge between the Academic & industrial practice of environmental control of construction activities in Nigeria.

1.5 Scope and Limitation of the study

This research considered Stakeholders Perspectives of Environmental Hazards on Building Construction Projects in Niger state (Minna) and Lagos State, these areas were selected due to the value and complexity of construction project being executed and the severity of these projects on the environment. Furthermore, this study centers on obtaining information relevant to this research objectives and from a selected stakeholders in various construction projects only.

1.6 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The objectives of this research defined in the proceeding section will be achieved through the following process: The preliminary data collected for this research was through a literature reviewed;oral interviewsand with the use of a questionnaire administer. The questionnaire is to be distributed to stakeholders in Building construction projects for their perspective or views on environmental hazards on building construction projects in Nigeria.

CHAPTER TWO 

2.0   LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1   ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS

An environmental hazard is a term use for any situation or state of events which poses a threat or inconvenience to the surrounding environment or area. Environmental hazards can be described as the state of happening or event, which have the ability or capacity to threaten the surrounding natural environment (Tola, 2013). @Looking at environmental hazards of building project and the stakeholder  perspective  especially in Nigeria, it has been reported that several years after the koko toxic waste dump and other environmental hazards that occurred repeatedly in the past, such as the floods that swept through the nation landscape with devastating hazards on lives and property in 2012 has an advise effect on property and life’s.@ The issue of environmental protection in Nigeria may have been more politically channel than deliberate and sincere efforts by governments to protect the people and guarantee a safer environment for future generations (Tola, 2013).

Nigeria is a signatory to the 1972 Stockholm declaration and several other international and local environment specifically, a legal agreements, treaties, conventions and policy instruments locally and internationally; the brutal fact is that the country remains lagging in making these legal instruments to bear positively on the environment still (Tola, 2013).@This is particularly very worrisome in analyzing it within the context of the climatically and man-made environmental risky adventures in business, building project and the domestic spaces that is used today which has potential threats of such unguided productive engagements which are more real in the country than the situation was about 20 years ago.@ “Despite the provisions of section 20 of the 1999 constitution, the water Resource Act 101 of 1973, the oil spillage Regulations 2009, and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency’s (NESREAs) Act 2007, the tales signs are that Nigeria’s climatic conditions have continue to gives stakeholders serious concern in view of the tons of hazardous toxic waste that are discharged through the  industrial and domestic activities on a daily basis” (Tola, 2013).

REQUEST FOR PROJECT MATERIAL

For the complete research material visit our CHECKOUT PAGE or fill the request form below:

[

Thanks for your interest in the research topic we will reach out to you as soon as possible.