Environmental Effects of Gully Erosion in Nigeria: Case Study of Nanka Community, Orumba North, L.G.A of Anambra State

Abstract

Soil is the most vital natural resources on earth. This is because it hosts both animate and inanimate beings and over three quarters of the world’s man-made developments are being carried out on land. Nanka is an Igbo speaking community covering five (5) settlements in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, South Eastern Nigeria. The studyis aimed at evaluating the effects of gully erosion in Nanka Community of Anambra State and with a view to recommend sustainable mitigation measures for environmental improvement. The use of questionnaires, maps, pictures, literature review, soil sample collection and laboratory analysis were part of the research methodology. The study revealed that both the natural and anthropogenic such as road construction without drainage, deforestation, solid waste disposal in water ways, rainfall intensity and nature of soil among others  are the causal factors of gully erosion in Nanka Community. The respondents agreed that rainfall intensity and nature of soil are the major cause with about 36.02% and 30.11% respectively. At 0.05 level of significance, the critical table value of‘ t test’ is 2.78 while the calculated value of R² is 0.31(31%) for the test of hypothesis. However, it was also observed that the effects of gully erosion in Nanka Community encompass destruction of residential homes, psychological trauma and loss of lives and farmlands among others. The mitigation measures to tackle the problem are land reclamation, aforestation, construction of roads with drainages, removal solid waste materials in water channels, public sensitization / awareness campaign and construction of embankments through public and private participation programme.

Keywords: Aforestation, Anthropogenic factors, Gully erosion, Mitigation, Rainfall

DOI: 10.7176/JEES/9-10-08

Publication date:October 31^st 2019