SOURCE:

Faculty: Environmental Sciences
Department: Environmental Management

CONTRIBUTORS:

Okafor, B. N.
Okoye, C.O.

ABSTRACT:

This workstudied the compliance with road setbacks standards in siting of structures in Awka capital Territory and Implications for environmental management, with a view to providing a workable template and modified framework for solving the problems of non-compliance with road setbacks, so as to achieve sustainable urban environmental and socio-economic development for Anambra State and other States in Nigeria. To achieve the stated aim, the study determined the level of compliance of the sited structures to theirset standards in the study area; identified the causes of non-compliance with road setbacks in the study area; also determined the environmental implications/effects with four indicators of social, economic, physical, and health.The study also developedtemplate and modified sustainable developmentfor solving the problems of non-compliance with road setbacks in the study area; amongothers. Field survey design methods were used in generating data. A total of 330 road types of Trunks A, B and C in the study area were measured.Aeronautical Reconnaissance Coverage Geographic Information System (ARCGIS) 10.4 software was used for measurementof distance between the sited structures and service roads. Metre tape rule measurement was carried out in Awka South alone for ground trotting.Set standards were obtained from Awka Capital Territory Development Authority (ACTDA) that is charged with urban development inthe study area. A total of 500 well structured questionnaires were distributed to both professionals and non-professionals in the study area. Tables, maps, photographs and percentage distribution were used to present data. To elicit data on the causes and environmental implications of non-compliance with road setbacks,weighted mean, Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) statistical tools like one sample T-test, paired sample T-test, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used for testing of hypotheses. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) factor score coefficient was used for ranking. The study discovered that there were massive incidences of non-compliance with road setbacksin the study area; that percentage levels of compliance with three different road setbacks in the study area were 37.1829, 24.6443 and 17.2832 for trunks A, B and C respectivelywith set standards for Trunks A, B and C of45.72m, 30m and 25m respectively. The major causes of non-compliance with road setbacks in the study area confirmed by professionals and non-professionals were failure of law enforcement agents and corruption among planning authorities.The major environmental effectswasroad accidents. Among the three roads Trunks in the study area, Trunk C road type had the highest percentage level of non-compliance with road setbacks in the study area. To increase compliance, the study developed an octadecagonal polygon template for proper management of non-compliance with road setbacks and modified framework of sustainable development for the achievement ofsustainable urban environmental and socio-economic development.The study made the following recommendations: Education of non-professionals (the general public) on the need and importance of road setbacks, strictadherence to generated template; the need for the three different planning agencies (Physical Planning Commission for Federal Roads, Physical Planning Board for State Roads and Town Planning Authorities for Local Roads) to make sure that the structures to be newly constructed and existing non-compliant ones should comply with minimum setbacks; and the urgent need for government to develop and introduce a stronger Commission/Board/Authorities that will checkmate the other existing three planning agencies for Trunks A, B and C, where most of the members should be developmentalteam like Estate Manager/Surveyor and valuer, Urban and Regional Planner, Architect, Geographer, Quantity Surveyor,Builder and Engineer, among others.