ASSESSING THE STATE OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN MAKAMA WARD OF BAUCHI CITY USING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM

Abstract

The basic understanding is that there is clear relationship between the social minority and lower income areas and the exposure to contemporary environmental impacts. It was observed that majority of the lower income households in Makama Ward of Bauchi city were under poor quality environment, while high-income areas enjoyed more favourable environment. Traditional methods usually used in carrying out assessment of EJ do not take into account multiple environmental quality indicators of EJ concurrently, and depict the spatial context of disproportions in urban environmental amenities and burdens. The GIS method was utilized in this thesis because, through the spatial distribution of environmental quality factors are able to simplify complex information about the state of EJ. In conclusion, the index maps were sufficient to expose the complexity of the spatial distribution of the variables that were studied. It enabled the identification of level of disproportions of social and environmental quality in Makama through the range of index maps developed. The GIS method made it possible to more adequately expressing interrelationships between urban environmental quality and social class. Similar techniques can be incorporated to provide better technical basis to planners hence achieving just and sustainable urban areas. Future researches related to EJ should aim at including more other critical indicators of EJ like crimes, sanitation, housing, electricity etc., which are common to developing country especially in Nigeria.