Assessment of Impact of Urbanization in Uyo L.G.A
Chapter One
Objectives of the study
The major objective of this research is an evaluation of the impact of urbanization and its effects and disruptions on Uyo.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Urbanization can simply be defined as the shift from a rural to an urban society, and involves an increase in the number of people in urban areas during a particular year.
Urbanization is the outcome of social, economic and political developments that lead to urban concentration and growth of large cities, changes in land use and transformation from rural to urban metropolitan pattern of organization and governance. Moreover, the concept of urbanization is not about simply increasing the number of urban residents or expanding the area of cities, more importantly; it is about a complete change from rural to urban style in terms of industry structure, employment, living standard and social security.
Urbanization is an important aspect of human activities in influencing environmental system. During the process of urbanization, reflectivity of land surface is violently changed when large amount of natural or agricultural lands are converted to built-up surfaces. These changes strongly affect the atmosphere/land surface energy exchange (Grimmond and Oke, 1995; Quattrochi and Ridd, 1994), as well as local weather and climate regimes (Changnon, 1992; Oke, 1987; Roth et al., 1989). As for hydrological cycle, most of the processes between land and atmosphere, surface and subsurface(Grimmond and Oke, 1991; Hammer, 1972) are completely influenced by the process of urbanization.
CAUSES OF URBANIZATION
Population Increase
Natural population increase (more birth than death rate) and migration were most of the significant factors responsible for the process of city growth in a lot of developing countries, this is caused by improved medical facilities, food availability, as well as better sanitation, this consequently reduces death rate and results to much population growth, abject poverty in most cases drives people from rural to urban areas in search of job opportunities, food and better health care in the developing countries Ezeigwe, (1995). Appropriate solid waste disposal methods for developing. In many cases, a lot of factors like environmental degradation, poverty, religious strife, political instability and lack of basic infrastructural amenities push a lot of people from the rural areas to urban in search of electricity, qualitative water, education, good transport facilities as well as conducive living standard, despite the fact that in many African countries the urban areas offer few jobs to the youths as well as amenities of urban life (Cohen 2004).
One significant feature of urbanization process in Africa is that, much of the urban growth taking place are in absence of much significant industrial expansion unlike Asia and Europe. Although, Africa is fast urbanizing, with such mega- cities defined as cities with about 10 million inhabitants or more are few. Urbanization also finds expression principally in outward expansion of the built-up areas and conversion of agricultural land into much residential uses.
Construction of high-rise buildings and promoting commercial development in specific zones is an alternative to the present expansion of the urban population across a wide area of the country in order to save prime land for agriculture, which would depend on effective, appropriate technology and resources.
Market Forces And Government Policy
Urbanization process are largely influenced by market forces and government policies that leads to simultaneous processes of change in the mode of living, land use, natural resources management, which includes, soil, water and forests and often a lot of reaction in the changes in local governance. On the other hand, government developmental policies and budget allocations which in most cases favours urban residents over rural areas tend to “pull” people into urban areas. In the cities, public investment and high standard of living that is in most cases unaffordable to the low income class residents tend to force new migrants into slums and squatter settlements. In addition, market forces results to employment changes among the residents, urban agriculture and peri-urban systems.
On the other hand, ready markets leads to a rise in production capacity of cash cultural crops and perishable goods such as vegetables, given the high demand as well as a great centripetal force in favour of urbanization.
The rapid urbanization of the world’s population over the twentieth century is described in the 2005 revision UN World Urbanization Prospect Report. The global proportion of the urban population rose dramatically from 13% (220 million) in 1900 to 29% (732 million) in1950, to 49% (3.2 billion) in 2005. The same report projected that the figure is likely to rise to 60% (4.9 billion) by 2030. This occurs because, Cities are known to be places where money, services and wealth are centralized. Many rural inhabitants come to the city for reasons of seeking fortunes and social mobility. Businesses, which provide jobs and exchange capital, are more concentrated in urban areas.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
In this chapter, we would describe how the study was carried out.
Research design
Nworgu (1991) viewed research design in any area of study as a plan or blue print which specifies how data relating to a given problem should be collected and analyzed. It provides the procedural outline for the conduct of any investigation.
An analysis of the social research methodologies suggests that survey is the handy tool for managers to collect primary data using questionnaire and interviews about the perceptions and attitudes of the respondents. “It is noted somewhere that questionnaire approach is the “most frequently used mode of observation in the social sciences because surveys are reportedly the excellent vehicles for measuring attitudes in large populations” (Sekaran, 2003:257).
Sources of Data
The data for this study were generated from two main sources; Primary sources and secondary sources. The primary sources include questionnaire, interviews and observation. The secondary sources include journals, bulletins, textbooks and the internet.
Population of the study
A study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description (Prince Udoyen: 2019). In this study the study population constitute of all the households in Uyo.
Sample size determination
A study sample is simply a systematic selected part of a population that infers its result on the population. In essence, it is that part of a whole that represents the whole and its members share characteristics in like similitude (Prince Udoyen: 2019).
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION DATA AND ANALYSIS
Introduction
This chapter presents the data collected for the study with the questionnaire as research instrument. The data are presented in frequency and simple percentage tables. The purpose for this is to make the data easy to interpret and understand. The objectives of the study were used for data presentation while the research questions formed the basis for the discussion of the findings. Fifty-two (52) copies of the questionnaire were distributed to the respondents and exactly fifty (50) were retrieved for data analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction
This chapter presents the summary of research findings, conclusion and recommendation. This study addressed the impact of urbanization in uyo l.g.a
The objective of this study were to: Investigate Uyo residents understanding and perception on urbanization; and To assess the impact of urbanization .
Summary of Finding
Uyo L.G.A understanding and perception on urbanization
- The Uyo L.G.Aunderstand urbanization as changing of rural area to town; the process of creating town in the country; an urban center; and increase in infrastructure development.
People migrate to Uyo because of access to land bought from government officials in the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Planning; employment opportunities; and insecurity and conflicts in other areas.
- A large majority of the respondents were of the opinion that urbanization is good because it improves infrastructure and social amenities in the area. The other fewer thought that urbanization is bad because it brings with it crime, prostitution, theft and unemployment.
Impact of urbanization on the livelihood
- The positive impacts of urbanization include availability of goods and services; good education; employment opportunities; access to banks; and socialization and civilization.
- The negative impacts of urbanization are increased pollution, destruction of forests, destruction of pasture land, unemployment, crime and increasing poverty.
Conclusion
The study has revealed that Uyo is indeed experiencing rapid urbanization due to its it been state capital city. The rapid urbanization of Uyo has led to increase in demand for land and increased land sub-division. As a result land use and land tenure has changed drastically, with both positive and negative impacts on the livelihood of the Uyo L.G.A. Some of the positive impacts of urbanization identified by the Uyo L.G.A include availability of goods and services; improved education facilities; employment opportunities; and easy access to banks. The negative impacts were environmental pollution; unemployment to the immigrants; sub-division of land; and soil degradation. These impacts have in-turn led to livelihood diversification and new livelihood strategies among the Uyo L.G.A. The study recommends that there is need to undertake an integrated and community-driven urban planning framework for the County and other emerging urban centres. The benefits and influence of urbanization has had an over bearing on the Uyo L.G.A. With improved infrastructure, improved social amenities and improved water supply and sanitation, they have seen improved standards of living with many of them turning to sedentary lifestyles. In turn they have had to diversity their livelihoods from basic animal diets and pastoral ways of life of adapt to the new.
Recommendations To policy makers
1.There is need for a sustainable urbanization policy for Akwa-Ibom state as a whole to guide urban growth and development.
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