A BASELINE SURVEY OF LAND DEGRADATION IN TELEVISION, KADUNA & NGATSHANG, SHANG –FAI, FAI DISTRICT, JABA LGA OF KADUNA STATE

ASELINE SURVEY OF LAND DEGRADATION IN TELEVISION, KADUNA & NGATSHANG, SHANG –FAI, FAI DISTRICT, JABA LGA OF KADUNA STATE REPORT COMPILED BY Joel Ajibuah PhD Dogara Samuel B.Sc Jigawa Emmanuel HND Florence Achi B.Sc Kazah Yashim HND Joshua Ibrahim B.Sc B.Ed CARE AND ACTION RESEARCH NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATION, (CaRE-NGO) 1 College/Juji/Gaiya Street, Before GDSS, Sabon-Tasha, GPO Box 2233, Kaduna. Email: carengo2010@gmail.com;care-ngo@hotmail.com Website: www.care-ngonigeria.org Phone: 08035930309 SUBMITTED TO GEF-SGF/UNDP, Abuja. MARCH 2011 Introduction and Background Information Land degradation is the most important environmental problem currently challenging the notion of sustainable development in many parts of the world. It is a process of decay in the land’s physical and biological resources, which continues until it reduces the land’s advantages. The process can be natural but it usually ends with a new natural balance. In most of the recent cases, land degradation reflects imbalance between human and environment. Also, human is always seen not as the trigger but the accelerator of the land degradation process so that the land becomes truly unproductive and difficult to rehabilitate, limited by time and cost. The land can be viewed as a component of ecosystem interacting with many other components to create a dynamic balance within certain limits. Human being can influence the balance when in need of production. Within certain limits, ecosystem can sustain pressure caused by this influence and not degrade. Should the pressure be continuous, however, the ecosystem supporting power will overload and there will be on-site and offsite forms of degradation. The problem is most acute where the environment is intrinsically vulnerable and where the population is losing control of its own resources unconsciously and with gross insensitivity. Those situations are characteristics of what is ravaging Television, Ungwar Yelwa in Kaduna Metropolis; Television is a suburb settlement with more than 250,000 persons and is in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Ngatshang, Shang and Fai are in Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The impulse of local people acting in ignorant at the cost of carrying capacity of future generation juxtaposed the need for immediate intervention. Thus, the willingness of all involved parties to take appropriate local action therefore must be put as the most important measure for perceiving the readiness to take control measures against land degradation. It is therefore need a strategic driven by the people, people’s focus and centered that will serve as vehicle toward mitigation of the present deplorable scenario of excavation in these area. These are issues that informed and formed the crux of this project. For it has become imperative that to nip from the bud land degradation or lithosphere excavation in these areas the people perpetrating and concomitantly suffering it must be the driver. Objectives of the survey i. To identify the level of damaged land as a result of earth and precious mining ii. To conduct a community needs assessment in order to identify alternative means of livelihood of excavators. iii. To provide synergy for community involvement, and prevention mechanism METHODOLOGY: PARTICIPATORY APPROACH The following participatory approach was employed in conduct of the baseline survey. First, a historical study of Fai and its immediate environment was undertaken to understand its historical setting. We traced the communal peculiarity and configuration that happened at a particular time. Secondly, a transect Walks with communities youth and ward leaders as local guide enabled us to observe, ask questions, listen to, discuss and learn about different features of the village terrains and human activities that have unfolded over a period of time and have affected the vegetation, crops grown, livestock, and first hand information on local technologies for soil excavation and exploration of precious stones. This tool is used to identify the general physical condition of the area. Thirdly, we used social mapping mechanism that facilitated and empowered indigenous community people to map out and drew major features in the community which the community holds with high esteems. A parameter of measurement to identify gully upper and basalt width and depth at intervals, slope angles at each point using Abney level, sediment loss and estimation of volume and weight of eroded materials were used. SITES OF THE BASELINE SURVEY The baseline was carried out in two major sites: the first is Television, Ungwar Yelwa Street near Kaduna Polytechnic along Bye-pass road in Kaduna metropolis and the second is in Fai Community and its immediate environs especially Ngatshang and Shang which are associated with precious stone mining. 1. Television, Ungwar-Yelwa, Kaduna Excavation site It was discovered that in Television, Ungwar-Yelwa Street near Kaduna Polytechnic along Bye-pass road excavation activity as means of livelihood has been on since 1980s. This activity is predominantly engaged by the men folk, principally because of strenuous nature it required, the ages range from 25 to 40 years old, while the educational level of the people also ranges from primary school to secondary school certificate, only one person among the people interviewed claimed to holds Diploma certificate in Computer, while others dropout from secondary school, due to inability of the parents/guardians to pay for their schools fees. However, all the respondents have learned one vocational trade to another. The vocational trades learned are: auto-mechanic, lorry driving, welding, Truck-boy and computer operation, they said that if avail the opportunity they will like to go back and continue on the profession they have learnt. The main reasons advanced for engaging in earth Mining are unemployment and it also provide affordable opportunity for low income earners to built houses. The main local implements use for the digging, excavation, parking, mixing and molding of the topsoil for local bricks are: jiggers, hoes, buckets, head-pan and shovels. The work at the site is divided into two, those that combine digging, and molding processes, while there are those that involve in sales and loading of bought bricks. Average income/sales per day are 3,000 naira but total take home of individual workers depends on the quantity contributed. Price Tag of per different earth blocks i. six inches blocks sold at 13 Naira ii. nine inches blocks sold at 20 Naira Identified challenges confronting earth miners for local bricks making in Television: i. lack of excavator to ease digging ii. harassment from law enforcement agents especially police, army, civil defense corps because of wrong assumption that proceeds are used for hard drug consumption iii. lack of vehicle to transport finished bricks to users iv. lack of pumping machine to alleviate use of buckets v. Seasonality of work as it is difficult to use it to build during raining season hence, low patronage during this period. Identified Felt Needs of the excavators/earth miners i. strong vehicles for distribution of blocks ii. water pumping machine iii. provision of excavators iv. restoration to formal learnt vocational/livelihood skills instead of this strenuous digging that those not give rest of mine from security agents and seasonality of the work PLATES/PICTORIALS OF LAND DEGRADATION IN TELEVISION AREA Pond generated from in-depth digging of the earth crust Abandoned Mining Site with refuse dumped there Degraded Land once used for agricultural purposes Revisited earth mining site in 2011; obvious land degradation could be seen Derelict land associated with earth mining/excavation Discarded ponds which have turned to open field for human excrete site One of the excavated pits near the road and settlement An excavated area with bricks awaiting buyers, Heaps local bricks awaiting buyers/users Revisited sites for re-excavation after several years of abandonment; gullies have started to set in Gradual natural vegetation reclamation process in earth mining site An abandoned excavated point with 15 feet deep and 14 ft wide, it serves a refuse dump for nearby residential areas Cattles are directed toward but with carefulness into the abandoned excavated point for grazing Abandoned ponds serves as grazing sites for livestock but cattle vulnerable to accidents by falling into the pits Another large pond of more than 15ft wide and 4ft deep, breeding point for mosquitoes Pond created as a result of indepth of the digging of the lithosphere. It serves as source of water for excavators, drinking water for the cattle that graze along the path and also breeding point for Mosquitoes to the nearby residential areas One of the dangerous gullies that have been created by the excavation activity First phase of extraction and mixing of topsoil Second and last phase of mixing process of topsoil Mr. Daniel molding the bricks having satisfied expected texture and other requirements for strength and durability One of the users of the local bricks loading the bricks for ongoing building site The group of excavators and research team after focus group discussion that unraveled the alternative livelihood they need for them to discontinue this present tedious work. Resting point during the day’s work at the earth mining site. Reclamation site