ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH EFFECTS OF WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN OGBA/EGBEMA/NDONI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA (ONELGA) RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

This study is geared at investigating the environmental and health effect of waste management in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area of Rivers State. The target is, to study the environmental challenges, health challenges as well as economic challenges caused by improper waste management in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. Survey design is deemed appropriate for this study because it involves the gathering data on research issues as they were at the period of research. Random sampling technique was used to gather data. The sample size was made up of 400 male and female of different areas of the local government area. Mean and standard deviation was used to answer the research questions while hypotheses were tested using regression at 0.05 level of significance. The research revealed that the relationship between environmental and health effects of waste management in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area was moderate (r = -.560). The R-square value of 0.313 indicated roughly a contribution of 31% of waste management to their health. Therefore, the regression equation shows that shows an increase in poor waste management may lead to a concomitant decrease in the state of health in the area. The research then found out that improper waste management can have negative impacts on both the environment and public health. Results obtained also proved that as you move away from the dumpsite the impact is not as severely affected as those who are closer to the dumpsite. The government and municipalities should revise laws regarding the locations of dumpsites. These laws should include properly managed sites, which are well fenced in and away from human settlements.