Environmental Effect of River Sand and Gravel Mining in Dagiri Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT

Abstract

Rivers are the most important life supporting systems of nature. Environmental problems occur when the rate of extraction of sand, gravel and other materials exceeds the rate at which natural processes generate these materials. This paper examined the environmental effect of river sand and gravel mining in Dagiri, Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT. Both primary and secondary data were used in the study. Convenience sampling technique was used in the administration of questionnaire. The study revealed that majority of the respondents were traders with 138 representing 39.0% of the people sampled. This could be attributed to Dagiri being a satellite town in Gwagwalada with places like WAZOBIA Park and other parks within the area. However, 69 respondents representing 19.5% were civil servants, 52 (14.7%) of the respondents were farmers, 49 (13.8%) engaged in sand mining activities while others were involved with one activity or the other. The study revealed that river sand and gravel mining has resulted to the destruction of the landscape, vegetation and deforestation in the study area as noted by 59.0% of the total respondents sampled. In addition, 60.4% of the population sampled agreed that river sand and gravel mining causes water, air and land pollution in the study area. More so, 68.1% of the total respondents opined that river sand and gravel mining causes erosion, flooding and collapse of and expansion of river banks in the study area. The result also showed that there is loss of biodiversity, soil nutrients and fertility loss as stated by 72.8% of the total respondents sampled. The hypothesis which stated that river sand mining has no significant effect on the environment of Dagiri, Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT was tested using multivariate analysis. From the result, F(12, 918.367) = 112.981, p < 0.05 shows a highly s

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