Ecological Consequences of Urbanization of Uyo Capital City, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Abstract

Uyo existed as a village until the concept of urbanization came with the advent of colonization to West Africa. Before the creation of Akwa Ibom State in 1987, Uyo was a Local Government Headquarters. Today, it is the capital of Akwa Ibom State, and the largest modern city/urban centre in the state. This present status of Uyo with increased infrastructural development and amenities is not without some ecological implications on the environment. This study was aimed at identifying some ecological consequences of urbanization of Uyo as a State capital. A combination of GIS, physical observation and field sampling and analyses were adopted in this study. The results show that vegetation cover and land use pattern have changed with increasing residential and built-up areas over the years. The ecological implications of this are enormous. Other consequences of urbanization of Uyo identified in this study include increased waste generation, increased flooding and erosion, air pollution and water and sediment contamination. It is recommended that Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) tool should be adopted for urban renewal and infrastructural development projects to check its negative consequences on the environment. This study noted with sadness that EIA was not carried out prior to urbanization of Uyo and concludes that this may have been the cause of the many unmitigated and irreversible negative consequences of urbanization of Uyo identified during this study.