Social and Environmental effects of Stone Quarrying in Tuluongoi Sub Location, Tenges Division, Baringo County

Abstract

Stone quarrying has been recognized as a socioeconomic activity serving as a fundamental source of livelihood for some communities. Nonetheless, most operations are often accompanied by adverse effects on the same communities and the environment. Arguably, with the right planning and management, many of the negative effects of stone quarrying activities can be minimized. Thus, the study sought to establish the social and environmental effects of stone quarrying in Tuluongoi Sub location, Tenges Division, Baringo County. Specifically, it sought to examine the social effects of stone quarrying; to establish the effects of stone quarrying on the physical environment; to determine the level of awareness of environmental rules and regulations governing stone quarrying, an aspect that has been less explored and; to identify the measures put in place to mitigate the negative social and environmental effects of stone quarrying in the study area. The study applied qualitative and quantitative approaches with a sample size of 120 households, 97 quarry workers, and six key informants. The sampling methods used were census for the quarry workers, stratified sampling for households, and purposive sampling for the key informants. Data were collected using questionnaires, in-depth interviews, observation, and pictorials. Data was analysed through content analysis, descriptive and inferential analysis, while SPSS was used to generate tables, graphs, and frequencies. Cross tabulation for chi-square was used to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 rejection level for all inferences. Majority of the respondents considered stone quarrying a health hazard with majority of quarry workers self-medicating themselves. The majority of the respondents cited damage to the environment to be long-term and that it occurred daily. It was concluded that awareness of environmental rules and regulations on stone quarrying significantly influences environmental degradation. The study recommended NEMA's enforcement of compliance of environmental rules, regulations, policies, and principles governing stone quarrying and the need to develop a county quarrying and mining policy. The study recommends future research on the individual and institutional factors influencing the awareness of and compliance with the various environmental rules and regulations.