http://tasks.teachosm.org/project/313
Custom imagery link:
Storymap Link:
http://arcg.is/2phpoX9
Group Members
Nick, Devin, Michael
Part One: Team Connections
To collaborate on this project, we contacted Temidayo and Dennis, who are students at the Federal University of Technology in Akure (FUTA). Temidayo and Dennis are both involved in FUTA’s own YouthMappers Chapter. We introduced ourselves via email on February 22nd. After that, we used a combination of Facebook and Google Hangouts to communicate. We learned that Temidayo has worked with organizations such as the International Space Agency, and has experience as a tech-oriented entrepreneur. Dennis is a student of meteorology.
By working with the students from FUTA, we can get a much better picture of just exactly what we are mapping. For now, our team has focused on mapping buildings and roads, allowing the mappers at FUTA to focus on the exact locations, size and types of garbage at the trash sites. We will be joining their Mapathon on March 24th.
Michael Wheeler
Part Two: Country Profile
Background and Statistics
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and he seventh most populous country in the world containing approximately 182 million people. The country is situated in West Africa and shares borders with the Republic of Benin to the west, Chad and Cameroon to the east, and Niger in the north. Its coast lies on the southern Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean. Nigeria covers an area of 356,669 square miles (923,768 square kilometers), or about twice the size of California. Nigeria has three main ecological regions: savannah, tropical forests, coastal wetlands. These ecological regions are significantly influenced culture of the people who live there. The dry, open grasslands of the savanna make cereal farming and herding a way of life while the tropical rain forests in the south are good for farming fruits and vegetables. Nigeria gained independence in October 1960 from Britain and separated into three districts, all under a constitution that provided for a parliamentary form of government.
USAID Interest
Urban waste is a major threat to the global environment and it is also causing flooding and disease throughout parts of Nigeria. As the population in the area continues to rise, so does the need for infrastructure and developmental growth, which can cause problems in the environment if not planned correctly. For this project, we will be mapping out dumping sites in Akure, Ondo State Nigeria. We will be able to distinguish and collect data from certain dumping areas that are located 500m away from any residential areas. By doing this, developers will have a better idea on how to plan and utilize waste management so it does not cause problems in the future.
OSM
In the study area, not a lot of mapping has been complete. The northwest corner of Akure has been finished but the major populated areas have not been dealt with. The area has been broken up into parcels, and the city areas have been broken up even more in order to deal with the high number of residential buildings in the area. The main mappers in the area are our group and the students at FUTA in Nigeria. We are working together in order to complete this project task and help out the people in need.
Nicholas Wisniewski
Part Three: Issue Briefings
The Problem
Urban waste or municipal solid waste is one of the major threats to global environment in the world today. It is also one of the causes of flooding and airborne diseases. As global civilization enhances and progresses, so does the increase in commercial, residential, and infrastructure development to accommodate for the growth of population. This in turn, has potential to have negative impacts on the environment if not properly planned, monitored and maintained, which is unfortunately what has happened in Akure, Nigeria. There is evidence of minor and improper dumping sites located as close as 500 meters away from homes of the general public. This leaves the occupants of these homes susceptible to the risks and hazards stated above.
The Solution
To mitigate the problem, the city of Akure has implored the governmental agencies to collect and manage the wastes of the city. This has led to a less primitive collection and management method to a more environmental friendly collection technique. Due to the population and the climate of the city, collection has been done on a daily basis. The city collects house – to – house as well as roadside community bins. Now as far as management of the waste collected is concerned, the methods are as follows: incineration, landfills, recycling and open dumping. Since the year 2000, there has been a significant decrease in the gross amounts and percentages of open dumping which can be attested to the significant increase in the gross amounts and percentages of the other management methods. Along with these efficient management methods of wastes, the government has recruited trained sanitary inspectors to help ensure the compliance with their rules on sanitation. All of this is a positive outlook when taking into account the meaning of resilience.
The Task
Our task as a group is to essentially map as much as we can with a concentration on buildings. Any feature that looks as a building, it is our job to ensure that it gets mapped. It is essential that we map buildings because the main problem that is attempting to be addressed are the improper open dumping sites 500 meters away from peoples’ homes. And with the mapping of these buildings, it narrows the focus on the areas in which these government agencies can regulate the illegal dumping sites. The next step, after completing these remote maps, would be to simply to continue to follow up with the agencies to ensure that the city of Akure stays resilient against improper open dumping.
Devin Dunn