Environmental and land use impacts of Quarrying along Ngong river in Embakasi

Abstract

Quarrying is a human activity that involves the extraction of natural resources from the earth’s surface. Like any other extractive activity, quarrying alters the physical environment, and when unchecked has the potential to impact adversely on the environment and the surrounding land uses. This study focusses on the landscape, physical development, settlement, environmental and socio-economic impacts of quarrying along the Ngong river basin in Embakasi division and limited to the area between the Outering Road Bridge and Kangundo Road Bridge. The study also sought to evaluate the environmental and land-use impacts of quarrying along Ngong River, determine the social economic significance of quarries to the workers and the neighboring communities, identify and analyze the impacts of quarrying on the health of neighboring communities and physical facilities as well as formulate planning interventions for sustainable quarrying. The study collected data from the quarry neighbors, quarry managers, policy institutions. The findings show that quarrying activities have impacts on the environment, land use and physical facilities along the Ngong’ river, that there is need to assess the effectiveness of environmental impact assessments and audits in the area, that quarries have impacted on the health of neighboring communities and that planning interventions are required to minimize the effects of quarrying on the environment, health and land use decisions. The study recommends proper planning of reclaiming closed quarries, adoption of closure mechanism for all quarries, reverting depleted quarry land to the government, creation of buffers between quarries and other land uses, introduction of cess to all trucks transporting quarry materials, planting of fast growing trees with dense foliage around quarries and regular environmental auditing of all quarries and regular health awareness campaigns in quarry neighboring communities.