ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS
This is an issue that affects everyone, irrespective of your race
DEFINITION:
These are naturally or humanly induced events which poses a serious danger to the lives and property of people in the environment. They include
•Soil erosion
•Desertification
•Flooding
•Pollution etc
We'll briefly discuss about three.
SOIL EROSION
Source
This is the process whereby the top soil is worn and transported away by erosional agents like water,wind and ice.
TYPES OF SOIL EROSION
SPLASH
This occurs when the soil aggregate breaks up on the impact of raindrops and ends up in different directions, especially in unprotected areas.
GULLY EROSION
This occurs when flowing water concentrate on definite channels,making then become deepend and steepsided. When they become very deep and wide,it forms bad land.
RILL EROSION
This occurs when running water,cuts q complex pattern of many shallow channels on the earth's surface through which it flows.
SHEET EROSION
This is the the uniform removal of the top soil on the earth's surface usually in a low and gentle surface.
CAUSES OF SOIL EROSION
Soil erosion can be caused by natural or human factors.
Examples of the natural factors include:
•The nature and composition of the soil
•Topography
•Steep slope
•Climate
Examples of the human factors include:
•Overgrazing
•shifting cultivation
•bush burning
•deforestation
•excavation
•construction
•ploughing a slope.
EFFECTS OF SOIL EROSION
METHODS OF PREVENTION/CONTROL
1.Terracing
2.Ridge cultivation
3.Cover cropping
4.Afforestation
5.Controlled grazing
6.Gully recleanation
DESERTIFICATION
This is the advancement, intensification, extension of desert like condition into the hither to humid environments.
AREAS LIABLE
Using my country Nigeria as a case study,the areas liable to desert encroachment are the northern part of the country,and places like Kano,Kebbi,Sokoto are in danger of desert encroachment.
CAUSES
The causes are a combination of human factors and or natural factors. The natural factors include:
•prolonged drought
•scanty rainfall
•strong dust laden winds
•high daily temperature.
...and the human factors include:
•overgrazing
•deforestation
•overcultivation
•bushburning
EFFECTS OF DESERTIFICATION
•Exposure of the soil to wind erosion
•Dryness of the environment
•Hot and dusty environment
•Poor crop yield
•Crop failure
•Shortage of food
•Displacement of people and settlement
•Loss of pasture
•Climate changes
•Loss of agricultural land
METHODS OF PREVENTION/CONTROL
•Irrigation
•Rational management of vegetative cover
•Afforestation
•Application of scientific methods to induce rain eg cloud seeding
•Legislative against bushburning
•Construction of wind breaks
FLOODING
This is the covering of the earth surface with excessive volume of water as a result of an abnormal large quantity of water that did not percolate or flow away or the presence of an excessive amount of water that overflowed it's banks into the land.
CAUSES OF FLOODING
•Excessive rainfall
•Poor drainage
•Inadequate urban planning
•Establishment of settlements on River channels
•Collapse of dams
•High water table
•Topography
•Rise in Sea level
EFFECTS OF FLOODING
•Destruction of farmlands
•Destruction of houses and properties
•Loss of lives
•Displacement of people and settlement
•Health hazards
•Mudflow
METHODS OF PREVENTION/CONTROL
•Dredging River courses
•Adequate urban planning
•Construction of well planned drainage system
•Regular maintenance of dams
•Proper channelisation of rivers
•Resettlement of people
I hope you learnt a thing or two about environmental hazards. Thank you.