Millions of years ago, the earth was clean and absolutely natural. In the past few centuries, however, human beings have made great efforts to adapt to the environment and exploit environmental resources. Introduction of locomotives, plastics and mass industrialisation have been some of the steps that humans have taken in making life on earth easier. A downside to this is the fact that even though these advancements are outstanding, they have resultant effects that are equal and opposite in nature. They result in environmental pollution.
Pollution is the introduction into the environment of a substance which has harmful or poisonous effects. The environment is made up of organic matter such as plant and animal life, and inorganic matter such as water and rocks, that existed in the older time periods. Substances that pollute the environment are mostly inorganic materials that contaminate the natural environment. These materials are known as non-biodegradable materials. Because the are not organic in nature, they cannot be broken down into organic components by bacteria within short periods of time. They therefore maintain their structure as they exist on the earth surface resulting in pollution taking place.
Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is the most developed country in East and Central Africa, boasting large industries, well developed ports, good air, road and railway networks, and a large population that caters for the work force of the country. Kenya’s population, as estimated by the United Nations is expected to grow at a rate of a million per year (Anon., 2017). In its progression into a more and more developed country, Kenya has had to cater for its growing population by increasing the number of industries to increase employment opportunities. Additionally, agriculture has been industrialised to increase food production. All these are great additions to Kenya as a growing nation, but in their own way, these advancements have done more harm, in terms of pollution, than good.
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The image shown is a picture of the Nairobi River that flows within Nairobi County. It is completely polluted with plastic waste and sewage. The river flows near slums such as the Kibera and Kiambiu. These shanty settlements are the main contributors to the pollution that takes place in the river. People living in the slum areas are rather uneducated on the importance and right methods of waste disposal. They lack designated areas for their waste matter, and end up throwing their waste, be it domestic waste, or the hazardous waste. To make matters worse, these coarse settlements have inadequate facilities for people to relieve themselves.
They can therefore be found urinating in the river or in bushes, or even defecating in plastic bags and throwing them into the river (flying toilets). In addition, these areas, due to their lack of structure in terms of housing, have poor sewage systems. It is not uncommon to find sewage flowing freely on paths and in alleyways, all the way to the river, which it pollutes. Nairobi, being a major city with a very high population is as a result curbed with the issue of very little potable water and is forced to access water from rivers and dams outside the county. This problem is also experienced in cities throughout the country which are in close proximity to rivers, lakes and even the ocean waters.
The growing population has led to the establishment of numerous industries in Kenya. Industries were majorly located in the capital city, but over the years, some industries have been established in other major cities and towns in the country, such as Thika Town, Limuru Town, Kisumu City and Mombasa City. These industries include, steel industries, oil refining industries, textile industries, plastic industries, chemical industries and vehicle-assembly industries. These industries have done their part in raising the standards of living for the greater population of Kenyans by providing employment. However, they are major contributors in the plight of air pollution in the country. Industries, especially those of manufacturing, tend to release poisonous emissions into the atmosphere. These gases include, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. They can be seen as big clouds of smoke coming out of factory chimneys. They reduce visibility of the sky and when these gases dissolve into rain clouds, result in the formation of acid rain, which has adverse effects on plant life and even iron sheets.
References
- Anon., 2017. Ecomerge. [Online] Available at: http://ecomerge.blogspot.com/2017/08/population-explosions-and-their-effect.html [Accessed 15 April 2019].
- Anon., n.d. Toppr. [Online] Available at: https://www.toppr.com/guides/geography/environment/environment/ [Accessed 13 February 2019].
- Anon., 2017. Ecomerge. [Online] Available at: http://ecomerge.blogspot.com/2017/08/population-explosions-and-their-effect.html [Accessed 15 April 2019].
- Faille, P., Karani, P., Seide, W., (2016) Assessment of the Environment Pollution and its impact on Economic Cooperation and Integration Initiatives of the IGAD Region; National Environment Pollution Report – Kenya(online) ResearchGate Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299442468_Assessment_of_the_Environment_Pollution_and_its_impact_on_Economic_Cooperation_and_Integration_Initiatives_of_the_IGAD_Region_National_Environment_Pollution_Report_-_Kenya (Accessed 9th January 2019)
- Kazungu K., (2019) Concerns over oil spills as exploration gathers pace (online) Business Daily Available at: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/shipping/Concerns-over-oil-spills-as-exploration-gathers-pace/4003122-4978958-nnnjcwz/index.html (Accessed 13th February 2019)
- Nyamai F., (2017) Pollution poses grave risk to Kenyans’ lives, warn experts (online) Daily Nation Available at: https://www.nation.co.ke/news/Pollution-poses-grave-risk-to-Kenyans–lives–warn-experts-/1056-4222788-e7g6mu/index.html (Accessed 9th January 2019)
- Oniang’o M., (2019) Plastic Bags Ban Applauded in Kenya (online) Africa.com Available at: https://www.africa.com/plastic-bags-ban-applauded-in-kenya/ (Accessed 20th January 2019)
- Wabai Y., (2017) [Ambassador report] WATER POLLUTION IN KENYA (online) Tunza EcoGeneration Available at: https://tunza.eco-generation.org/resourcesView.jsp?boardID=ambassadorReport&viewID=42780&searchType=&searchName=&pageNumber=2 (Accessed 10th January 2019)
- Watts J., (2018) Eight months on, is the world’s most drastic plastic bag ban working? (online) The Guardian Available at:https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/25/nairobi-clean-up-highs-lows-kenyas-plastic-bag-ban(Accessed 12th January 2019)
