Gully erosion is one of the severe environmental problems facing Gombe metropolis. It threatens urban infrastructure, properties, lives and the physical growth of the town. This article assesses the socioeconomic effect of gully erosion in Gombe metropolis. The aim of the study was to assess the socioeconomic effect of gully erosion on land use in Gombe metropolis. Data used in this study were derived from field administration of questionnaire and focus group discussion. Three sampled gully profiles cutting across different land use areas were purposively selected for the study. They were referred as Gully A, transect FCE-Arawa-M/Inna-U/Uku Gully site; Gully profile B, transect Fed.lowcost-B/Yero-Idi-Herwagana-Idi-U/Uku Gully site and Gully profile C, transect Old/GRA-Gabukka-Barunde-Madaki-Bogo-Doma. From each gully profiles, 10% of the population around the gully site was used as population sample administering the total of 207 questionnaires in all the three gully sites under different landuse areas. Results obtained through questionnaires and focus group discussions was analysed, using simple percentage presented in different tables and discussed.The results indicated that several buildings, farmlands/plots and other properties worth millions of naira as well as both human and animal lives were lost due to effect of gully erosion in the study area.
The study sought to find out the extent of soil erosion on farmlands in Zing local government area, particularly rill and gully erosions. Ten years rainfall data (1996-2005); were obtained, while rill and gully parameters of 10 farms on the hill slopes, and 10 farms on flat lands were measured. Also laboratory analysis of the soils sampled from the 20 farms sites was conducted. The study revealed that rainfall in the area is erosive, while analysis of data on rills and gullies using the student t-test shows that greater length and depth of erosion occurs on the hill slope farmlands than on the flat land farmlands. This could be because though the hill slopes are steep and erosion can easily occur, in addition is that, farmers also practice arable farming extensively on them. The laboratory analysis however, established that there was no significant difference at P= 0.05 in most of the physical and chemical properties of soils between the farmlands on the hill slopes and those on the plains .This could be because soils in this vicinity are from the same parent material.
The struggle to save humankind from hunger and starvation through the improvement of agricultural productivity using agrochemicals has gone a long way to settle an aspect of these challenges, but its social, health and ecological implication has always almost been forgotten. Due to man's indiscriminate land use/farming activities and the use of agrochemicals without adhering strictly to the user instructions included in the agrochemical package, this has affected man in no small way. This is so because of man's unregulated agricultural activities coupled with his faulty land use pattern. This has affected both the natural ecosystem and the agricultural farm produce thereby turning round to affect the health of man, his environment and his finances too. This paper therefore investigated the effect of these agrochemicals on health, environment and the social aspects. This research is therefore located within the northern senatorial district of Cross River State, which covers Ogoja, Yala, Bekwarra, Obudu and Obanliku local government areas. A total of 638 respondents including farmers, nurses, medical doctors and other laboratory scientists within the study area were randomly selected for the study using multistage random sampling technique. The instruments for the study include a structured questionnaire, personal interview and client case file, using independent t-test and simple percentage for data analysis, it was found that within the period the rural farmers started using these agrochemicals especially herbicides and those for crop storage, there has been an increase in the incidence of cancer growth, gastro-intestinal disorder and other health and birth complications within the study zone. These effects did not only affect the health of humans, it also affected
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