Pollution

POLLUTION

Tourism can cause the same forms of pollution as any other industry: air emissions, noise, solid waste and littering, releases of sewage, oil and chemicals, even architectural/visual pollution.

Air pollution and noise

Transport by air, road, and rail is continuously increasing in response to the rising numbe reported that the number of international air passengers worldwide rose from 88 million in 1972 to 344 million in 1994. One consequence of this increase in air transport is that tourism now accounts for more than 60% of air travel and is therefore responsible for an important share of air emissions. One study estimated that a single transatlantic return flight emits almost half the CO2 emissions produced by all other sources (lighting, heating, car use, etc.) consumed by an average person yearly. (Mayer Hillman, Town & Country Planning magazine, September 1996. Source: MFOE ).
Transport emissions and emissions from energy production and use are linked to acid rain, global warming and photochemical pollution. Air pollution from tourist transportation has impacts on the global level, especially from carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions related to transportation energy use. And it can contribute to severe local air pollution. Some of these impacts are quite specific to tourist activities. For example, especially in very hot or cold countries, tour buses often leave their motors running for hours while the tourists go out for an excursion because they want to return to a comfortably air-conditioned bus.    Noise pollution from airplanes, cars, and buses, as well as recreational vehicles such as snowmobiles and jet skis, is an ever-growing problem of modern life. In addition to causing annoyance, stress, and even hearing loss for it humans, it causes distress to wildlife, especially in sensitive areas. For instance, noise generated by snowmobiles can cause animals to alter their natural activity patterns.

In winter 2000, 76,271 people entered Yellowstone National Park on snowmobiles, outnumbering the 40,727 visitors who came in cars, 10,779 in snowcoaches and 512 on skis. A survey of snowmobile impacts on natural sounds at Yellowstone found that snowmobile noise could be heard 70% of the time at 11 of 13 sample sites, and 90% of the time at 8 sites. At the Old Faithful geyser, snowmobiles could be heard 100% of the time during the daytime period studied. Snowmobile noise drowned out even the sound of the geyser erupting. (Source: Idahonews)

Sewage
Construction of hotels, recreation and other facilities often leads to increased sewage pollution. Wastewater has polluted seas and lakes surrounding tourist attractions, damaging the flora and fauna. Sewage runoff causes serious damage to coral reefs because it stimulates the growth of algae, which cover the filter-feeding corals, hindering their ability to survive. Changes in salinity and siltation can have wide-ranging impacts on coastal environments. And sewage pollution can threaten the health of humans and animals.

Alteration of ecosystems by tourist activities Habitat can be degraded by tourism leisure activities. For example, wildlife viewing can bring about stress for the animals and alter their natural behavior when tourists come too close. Safaris and wildlife watching activities have a degrading effect on habitat as they often are accompanied by the noise and commotion created by tourists as they chase wild animals in their trucks and aircraft. This puts high pressure on animal habits and behaviors and tends to bring about behavioral changes. In some cases, as in Kenya, it has led to animals becoming so disturbed that at times they neglect their young or fail to mate.

---

2. Pollution Tourism can cause the same forms of pollution as any other industry: air emissions, noise, solid waste and littering, releases of sewage, oil and chemicals, even architectural/visual pollution (www.gdrc.org/uem/eco-tour/envi/index.html).(i) Air and Noise Pollution: Transport by air, road, and rail is continuously increasing in response to the rising number of tourist activities in India. Transport emissions and emissions from energy production and use are linked to acid rain, global warming and photochemical pollution. Air pollution from tourist transportation has impacts on the global level, especially from carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions related to transportation energy use. And it can contribute to severe local air pollution. Some of these impacts are quite specific to tourist activities where the sites are in remote areas like Ajanta and Ellora temples. For example, tour buses often leave their motors running for hours while the tourists go out for an excursion because they want to return to a comfortably air-conditioned bus.Noise pollution from airplanes, cars, and buses, as well as recreational vehicles is an ever-growing problem of modern life. In addition to causing annoyance, stress, and even hearing loss for humans, it causes distress to wildlife, especially in sensitive areas (www.gdrc.org/uem/eco-tour/envi/index.html).(ii) Solid waste and littering: In areas with high concentrations of tourist activities and appealing natural attractions, waste disposal is a serious problem and improper disposal can be a major despoiler of the natural environment - rivers, scenic areas, and roadsides.In mountain areas of the Himalayas and Darjeeling, trekking tourists generate a great deal of waste. Tourists on expedition leave behind their garbage, oxygen cylinders and even camping equipment. Such practices degrade the environment particularly in remote areas because they have few garbage collection or disposal facilities (www.gdrc.org/uem/eco-tour/envi/index.html).(iii) Sewage: Construction of hotels, recreation and other facilities often leads to increased sewage pollution. Wastewater has polluted seas and lakes surrounding tourist attractions, damaging the flora and fauna. Sewage runoff causes serious damage to coral reefs because it stimulates the growth of algae, which cover the filter-feeding corals, hindering their ability to survive. Changes in salinity and siltation can have wide-ranging impacts on coastal environments. And sewage pollution can threaten the health of humans and animals. Examples of such pollution can be seen in the coastal states of Goa, Kerela, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, etc.   

INTRODUCTION The impact of air pollution on the social and economic development in Nigeria is a topic of interest to scientists/researchers. A good number of researchers have documented this event (Abiodun, 1999; Ebisike et al, 2004 and Obioh et al, 2005). Historical events have been documented by other studies in which pollution concentrations reached an alarming level due to weather inversion that trapped air pollution in valleys. A good example is the Meuse valley of Belgium in 1930 and London of 1952 where thousands loss their lives due to air pollution (Holland et al, 1979). The release of methyl isocyanate into the air during a temperature inversion causes 3,300 deaths and more than 20,000 illnesses at Bhopal, India, in December 1984. The release of industrial wastes into the atmosphere resulted in smog over Lagos in October 2005. The onset of industrialization brought about a drastic change in the composition of the atmosphere due to the combustion of fossil fuels for the generation of energy. The ever increasing population, traffic congestion resulting from increase in motor vehicles and urbanization also contribute to a large extent in polluting the air. The degree of intensity and the composition of the pollutants vary depending on the level of economic development (industrialization).A polluted environment is deadly and, it is also a retarding agent to the socio-economic development of a nation. Quite a number of people feel that once they are not allergic to a polluted environment, they are free from its harmful act. What a deception!  Millions of Nigerians who found themselves trapped in a polluted city believe their body systems will adapt to it, without a second thought about the negative effect it will bring to their health. A lot have had their lives shortened through living in such environments. Ignorantly, they suffer from its attack. Continual complain of headache, cough, asthma, etc are not uncommon in the polluted environment where people live. Enormous amount of financial resources which could be used for economic and social development are being loss on a daily basis by government and weather-sensitive economic sectors resulting from this extreme weather phenomenon.   This paper aim at enlighten the general populace of the effect of air pollution on the socio-economic development in Nigeria. And, also to stress the need for decision makers at all level in government and in all sectors of society to consistently integrate environmental objectives along with social and economic considerations in their decision.

2.     AIR POLLUTION AND HUMAN HEALT    Pollution, a form of weather condition is the presence of one or more contaminable substances in the atmosphere resulting from gaseous, liquid or solid wastes or by-products that is detrimental or tends to be detrimental to human health or welfare, or can attack infrastructures. Air pollution on the other hand refers to the discharge of harmful substances into the air to the extent that it can reduce visibility or produce undesirable odour.  Air pollution results from both the natural and anthropogenic causes. The emissions from volcanoes, desert dust storms, sea spray, plants (spores and pollens) and smoke from forest fires which constitutes particulate matters are natural causes of air pollution. Anthropogenic (man-made) sources which include industrial plants (figure 1), motor vehicles, power generation, mining, smoke emissions from bush burning, quarrying, gas from waste/refuse combustion, agricultural sprays and chemical processing, exerts higher proportion than the natural factors. Anthropogenic pollutants are the most toxic and are generally emitted where people live, work and play. It typically causes the greatest health problem and exacerbates respiratory problems and other health complications (figure 2).    Air pollution’s impact on health is very complex as there are many different sources. The individual effects vary from one to another, and it is especially harmful to the young children and the elderly, and those with existing respiratory problems. Children are at risk because their lungs are not fully developed; they breath faster, and they spend lots of time outdoors (Kenneth et al, 1999).

3.     POLLUTION (WEATHER) AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES   Air pollution is widely considered to be one of the serious threats to the sustainability of the planet’s environment, the well being of its people and the economic power. The world’s economy is increasing sensitivity to weather; hence it is not possible to divorce the environment and the socio-economic issues. Based on this, there is need to consider the effect of pollution extremes on some of the weather-sensitive economic sectors.

a.     Tourism and recreation resources:   Changes to the environmental features will have a direct im ct on many tourism destinations which could have far reaching implications not just for the tourism industry, but for other economic sectors. Air pollution put tourism at risk at coastal zones and mountain regions. Coastal tourism is likely to suffer damage from most of the effect of pollution which are evident from turbidity, visibility reduction and undesirable odour. It is obvious that tourism plays an important role in the socio-economic development of many countries. Hence, for sustainable development, accurate weather forecasts and warnings with effective information on air pollution which are essential for planning and for ensuring safe and environmentally sound tourism activities should be made known to tourism industry.

b.     Agriculture:    The impact of air pollution can put a stress on Nigeria agricultural sector with a feed- back on other sectors of the economy. Agricultural practice in Nigeria is rain-fed. This implies that farmers depend solely on precipitation or rainfall for optimal productivity. The adventure of technology resulting in modernization, industrialization and urbani-zation has contributed in a great way to the level of pollutants (CO, O₃, NO_X, SO₂, and PM_2.5) suspended in our environment. The pollutants interacts with other components of the air (e.g. vapour) and chemical transformations occur to form chemical acids (e.g. carbonic, sulphuric, nitric acids, etc) which are absorbed by water droplets in clouds. The droplets fall as acid rain (pH < 5), (Brimblecombe, 1996). The consequence of acid rain is evidence on the poor agricultural output. The poor agricultural output can lead to excessive increases in food price. This in turn can put pressure on economy policy leading to higher interest rates.

c.     Communication:   Particulate matters (PM) suspended in the atmosphere directly affect communicat- ions at all levels. Fine particulate matters (PM_2.5) have a longer duration in the atmosphere and act as condensation nuclei upon which other substances may be deposit. It attenuates and scatters radio signals from space, thus it can prevent high frequency (HF) radiowave communication signals completely from being transmitted to ground stations. The net effect is that it may cause interruptions in Radio, Cable and Television signals. For effective sustainability, accurate weather forecasts of this phenomenon should be made available to the industry. Accurate forecasts of these effects can give operators more time to find alternate means of communication.

e.     Water resources:   Water is an essential social, economic and environmental good that is largely dependent on the weather. Water, invaluable natural resources is essential for agriculture, power production, recreation, transport, drinking and sanitation. It is particularly useful for marine ecosystems. The key variables controlling water availability are temperature, precipitation, runoff, and aquifer. Toxic substances are released into the atmosphere in several ways e.g. industries, agricultural sprays, etc. They undergo chemical transformations and are washed into oceans and lakes by precipitations. The dissolved substances decrease the concentration of nutrients available to fish and other aquatic lives. Therefore, the marine ecosystems are endangered. The provisions of accurate, integrated weather forecast on pollution information are critical to optimal resource management.