THE EFFECT OF LAND USE ACTIVITIES ON THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

This research is concerned with the effect of land use on the health and safety of the environment. the relationship between the planning of settlements and health. It gives a brief introduction to the issues before summarising the evidence in relation to a range of topics, concluding with some more speculative thoughts on likely future findings. Modern planning was invented in response to inhumane living conditions in 19th century cities. But in the last century the connection was lost. Only now, with concerns over climate change and obesity, is there beginning to be the realization that the physical environment is an important determinant of health.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background of the study

The focus of this study is on land use planning for healthy human settlements. It is widely recognized that the spatial planning of human urban activity is affecting quality of life, health and well-being. First to give some definitions: settlements in this context include cities, towns and villages. The tentacles of large settlements spread out far beyond urban areas, into hinterlands and networks, linking places together through commuter residence and work, retail, educational and leisure activities. So there is no clear functional distinction between urban and rural settlements within a town or city region. Land use planning is conventionally called ‘town and country planning’ in Britain, following the 1947 Act, but since 2004 is officially termed ‘spatial planning’, implying a more integrated, inter-agency process. In literature the term ‘built environment’ is often used to mean the human-made environment that may be subject to planning. It does not refer only to buildings and hard infrastructure but to all the physical elements that go to make up settlements, including greenspace. Health is defined broadly, in line with the World Health Organization (WHO), as ‘not only the absence of disease but a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being, without distinction of race, religion, political belief or economic or social condition’ (WHO, 1946). Health in this sense is linked to every aspect of life – the social, the economic and the environmental – and can be seen as consonant with the anthropogenic version of sustainable development evident in the UN Brundtland definition. Just as equity (intra-generational as well as inter-generational) is a key aspect of sustainable development, so concern for health inequalities is central to public health policy.

Health and land use planning are historically linked. Modern planning originated in the nineteenth century expressly in order to combat unhealthy conditions—the unsanitary, over-crowded and inhumane conditions of the burgeoning industrial cities. It was recognised then, and still is, that there is an umbilical link between environmental conditions and human health. This link has been articulated in the modern era as permeating the human condition. The environment is seen as one of the key determinants of health, alongside inherited characteristics, lifestyles, and social and economic variables (Lalonde, 1974; Whitehead and Dahlgren, 1991). It is not only a matter of the direct physical impacts on health – for example of foul air or contaminated water – but also of indirect social and behavioural effects, on the exercise we take, the people we meet, and the degree of inequality in access to housing, employment opportunities, health services and other facilities. Land use planning and concern for the built environment originated from a public health focus. The Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century caused a rapid growth of coal, steel, and manufacturing industries. In turn, this brought workers and their families from the countryside to the cities in droves. These exploding cities lacked sanitary infrastructures to cope with the swelling masses. Improvised and often crowded housing typically lay adjacent to factories that discharged smoke and other pollutants. Urban residents, “lived in tiny unventilated apartments, often with whole families—and perhaps a few boarders—occupying the same room…the most miserable and degraded lived in unfinished cellars, their walls a mat of slime, sewage, and moisture after every rain.

• STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Land as one of the factors of production is relatively scarce in supply, the effect of land use activities on the health and safety of the environment has become very cumbersome and a course of worry to the emerging cities. This is because land are used for diverse purposes; ranging from agriculture, industrial, residential, commercial and mining. Some of these activities on land causes pollution and hazardous to public health. It is on this back drop that the researcher intends to investigate the effect of land used activities on the health and safety of the environments.

• OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study is to ascertain the effect of land use activities on the health and safety of the environment. However, for the successful completion of the study, the researcher therefore set out the following sub-objectives:

1. To ascertain the relationship between land use and public safety
2. To ascertain the relationship between land use and public health

• To ascertain the impact of land activities on the environment

1. To evaluate ways of promoting effective land used and environmental safety.
   • RESAERCH HYPOTHESES

For the successful completion of the study, the following hypotheses were formulated:

H₀: There is no significant relationship between land use and public safety

H₁: There is a significant relationship between land use and public safety.

H₀²: there is no significant relationship between land use activities and public health

H₂: there is a significant relationship between land use activities and public health.

• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

At the completion of this study the findings will be of great benefit to the urban and regional planners to ensure effective planning of the society

The findings will also be of great benefit to the public health workers to ensure ways of protecting the environment from hazards emanating from the use of land.

The study will also be of great importance to environmentalist in other to formulate and implement environmental laws.

Finally the study will be of great benefit to researchers as it will add to the pool of knowledge.

• SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study covers effect of land use activities on the health and safety of the environment. However, the researcher encounter some limitation in the cause of the study, some of this limitations are;

Availability research materials: materials that the researcher require for the research work was unavailable for the research work.

Time factor: time was not on the researchers to consult various sectors of the economy to review employees or given out questionnaire to various institutions on the effect of government revenue policies. As we all know, time is never our friend. The time scheduled for the completion of this research thesis was too short. As a result, generating information/data was strenuous as it coincides with final year examination period, which needed attention.

Finance: this is another barrier that limited the researcher’s work.

• DEFINITION OF TERMS

Land

Land, sometimes referred to as dry land, is the solid surface of the Earth that is not permanently covered by water.^[1] The vast majority of human activity throughout history has occurred in land areas that support agriculture, habitat, and various natural resources. Some life forms (including terrestrial plants and terrestrial animals) have developed from predecessor species that lived in bodies of water.

Areas where land meets large bodies of water are called coastal zones. The division between land and water is a fundamental concept to humans. The demarcation between land and water can vary by local jurisdiction and other factors. A maritime boundary is one example of a political demarcation. A variety of natural boundaries exist to help clearly define where water meets land. Solid rock landforms are easier to demarcate than marshy or swampy boundaries, where there is no clear point at which the land ends and a body of water has begun. Demarcation can further vary due to tides and weather.

Health

Health is the level of functional and metabolic efficiency of a living organism. In humans it is the ability of individuals or communities to adapt and self-manage when facing physical, mental or social changes. The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health in its broader sense in its 1948 constitution as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” This definition has been subject to controversy, in particular as lacking operational value, the ambiguity in developing cohesive health strategies, and because of the problem created by use of the word “complete”. Other definitions have been proposed, among which a recent definition that correlates health and personal satisfaction. Classification systems such as the WHO Family of International Classifications, including the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), are commonly used to define and measure the components of health

Environmental health safety

Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) is an umbrella term for the laws, rules, guidance and processes designed to help protect employees, the public and the environment from harm. In the workplace, the responsibilities for designing and implementing appropriate procedures is often assigned to a specific department, often called the “HSE” department which is responsible for environmental protection, occupational health and safety at work. HSE management has two general objectives: prevention of incidents or accidents that might result from abnormal operating conditions and reduction of adverse effects that result from normal operating conditions. Regulatory requirements play an important role in the role and HSE managers must identify and understand relevant HSE regulations, the implications of which must be communicated to executive management so the company can implement suitable measures. Organisations based in the United States are subject to EHS regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations, particularly CFR 29, 40, and 49. Still, EHS management is not limited to legal compliance and companies should be encouraged to do more than is required by law, if appropriate

1.8 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows

Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), statement of problem, objectives of the study, research question, significance or the study, research methodology, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlight the theoretical framework on which the study its based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding.  Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study.