OJS COOU
Not a member yet
182 research outputs found
Sort by
A Comparative Assessment Of Thermal Comfort In Residential Buildings In Asaba And Igbuzor In Delta State
Get PDFThermal comfort is a critical aspect of human well-being, particularly in relation to the built environment. It refers to the state of mind that expresses satisfaction with the surrounding thermal conditions. This study was carried out to compare the indoor/outdoor thermal comfort conditions in Asaba and Igbuzor. The quasi-experimental research design was used. Meteorological data (1983-2022) from weather station in Asaba and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) were used. Air temperature, humidity, windspeed and direction were the data collected. The historical data was complemented with measurements of weather parameters in Asaba and Igbuzor (January-December 2022). The Effective Temperature Index (ET) was used to determine the thermal conditions. The paired samples t test tested the difference in ET. Findings indicated that monthly average temperature for Asaba ranged between 29.9°C and 25.7°C; minimum temperature in Asaba had a range of 2.2°C. Maximum temperature was hottest in February (34.9°C). Relative humidity increased from 65% in January to 88% in June, July and August (JJA). Mean annual temperature for Igbuzor ranged between 29.4°C and 25.5°C. The annual minimum temperature in Igbuzor had a range of 2.1°C. Maximum temperature was hottest in February (34.3°C); while July (28.4°C) and August (28.4°C) were coolest. ET for Asaba was 27.6 °C, while the ET for Igbuzor was 24.5°C. The paired t test result showed that effective temperature in Asaba was significantly different from that of Igbuzor at, t(364) = 10.3, p<.005. The study recommends the need to revisit the building construction processes in Asaba, keeping in mind the findings of this study. 
Liveability Status Of High Density Enugu State Housing Development Corporation Estates In Enugu Capital Territory Nigeria
Get PDFThe study is an assessment of the liveability status of high-density housing in Enugu Capital Territory, Southeast Nigeria. Housing is universally accepted as the second most important need of humanity after food. It is more than a mere shelter, as it embraces all the social services, utilities and physical infrastructure that support the quality of life of inhabitants in the settlement. However, the liveability status of many high-density housing estates in the Enugu urban centre appears to be below global standards and devoid of basic supportive infrastructure and healthy environments. Also, the public housing delivery in Enugu Capital Territory is occasioned by the urgency to provide shelters to cater for rapid urban population growth without adequate planning for the housing environment and supportive infrastructure in place for cohesive communal life. The apparent ad-hoc approach to the implementation of housing programmes has thus affected the liveability status of many high-density housing. The paper discusses urban liveability and liveability indicators to assess the environment and the supportive infrastructure as they affect the quality of life of the residents and other users. The urban liveability in this context is limited to a comparative assessment of the housing environment and the supportive infrastructure as they affect the quality of residents of high-density housing in Enugu Capital Territory with the basic global standards. To this end, the study aims to assess the liveability status of three randomly selected high-density housing estates in the city: Riverside Housing, EHCOL (Brick) Housing and Maryland Housing, using the global ranking tool Better Life Index (BLI). Finally, the paper seeks to shed more light on public housing planning for a sustainable environment and supportive infrastructure for enhancing the liveability of high-density housing estates in Enugu Capital Territory, Nigeria
Vulnerability Of Tourism Assets To Climate Change -A Scoping Review
Get PDFTourism infrastructure is currently being impacted as a consequence of steady variations in rainfall, temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, sea level upsurge, and a variation in the frequency of severe activities, which are some concomitant manifestations of climate change variation. These changing and intense meteorological conditions particularly affect tourism operations and assets and are clear markers of climate change uncertainty. As a result, there is a fast-growing corpus of quantitative and qualitative studies documenting the sensitivity of the hospitality sector to the impacts of climate change, although the impact of this vulnerability has not been well-evaluated in available studies, thus requiring a scoping review. This study looks at how vulnerable and resilient the tourism industry is to changes in climate. This was done by creating illustrations that concentrate on the impact of climatic elements on outdoor tourism assets, construction materials that accommodate the tourism exhibits, and the level of patronage during extreme weather conditions caused by unexpected alterations in the natural habitat. This scoping review collates and analyses global literature on the proneness of tourism growth to climate change. The findings show that the infrastructure and assets used in the tourism industry are far more vulnerable than resilient. In comparison with the rest of the economic system, the tourist sector is more susceptible to climate change but also more able to adapt to it. Societies with income disparities exhibit varying degrees of vulnerability and resistivity; those with fewer resources are more susceptible and less adaptive, whilst those with greater financial resources are the least fragile and most adaptable. Thus, this study contributes to the existing literature on the vulnerability of tourist resources to climate change; points out the shortcomings of past investigations, and offers suggestions for additional inquiries
Land Use Planning As An Adaptation Strategy For Combatting Climate Change Risks And Vulnerabilities In Awka Capital Territory (ACT)
Get PDFClimate change and land use change are interrelated with each other. Both phenomena influence each other spatio-temporally. Integrated land use planning is a space-based strategy to allocate land for different uses in an attempt to balance economic, social, and environmental values at national, sub-national and local levels. It is a process that supports decision-makers and users in selecting the best combination of land uses to meet the multiple needs of people while safeguarding natural resources and ecosystem services. In addition, it addresses population growth, increasing competing uses of limited resources by diverse actors, land degradation and unsustainable urban development. Climate change represents an additional challenge to land-use planning. The link between land use and climate is inextricable. For example, land cover, as shaped by land-use practices, affects the global concentration of greenhouse gases. Even as land-use change is a crucial driver of climate change, a changing climate can lead to changes in land use and land cover. Because of this, integrated land-use planning that fully recognizes climate change can be useful in preventing climate change impacts due to flooding, drought, water scarcity, and heat stress, as well as in reducing the exposure of valuable assets to risks related to these hazards. The above issues are the rationale for focusing on Awka Capital Territory to examine the land-use planning process and its integration with climate change consideration in proffering an insight into present and future hazards facing Territory
Corruption And The Challenges Of Infrastructural Development In Developing Countries: Nigeria In Perspective
Get PDFThe challenges of infrastructural development in developing countries, particularly Nigeria are daunting. The deficits cover many critical areas of both social and infrastructures such as housing, roads, communication, power and energy health care among others. The result of this is the low quality of life and living coupled with huge deficit in infrastructures especially in Nigeria, which has been ascribed to corruption. This paper critically reviewed the effects of corruption on infrastructural development in Nigeria. It assessed the situation viz-a-viz analyses of research about infrastructural development in Nigeria and bottlenecks to achieving a good environment for improved quality of life. The paper adopted the library research methodology by content analysis of extant literature. Analysis was done through the use of descriptive method. The key research outcomes revealed that Nigeria has one of the lowest levels of access to improved basic infrastructure anywhere in the world, ranking 162 out of 186 countries. In Africa, Nigeria ranks 32 out of the 54 countries, and among its global middle-income peers. The review further showed that the public infrastructural spending-GDP ratio in Nigeria is low; it oscillated between 1.20% in 2012 to 1.02% in 2017. This public infrastructure-GDP ratio is quite low and very inadequate especially when compared to those of emerging economies like South Africa (20.4%), India (32%) and China (44.4%). Recommendations include: Professional regulatory bodies should properly play their roles in infrastructural projects service delivery; Government and the citizenry should pursue governance; Government should accelerate infrastructural development; Ethical re-orientation and education of the citizenry should be pursued; The Anti-Corruption agencies should be strengthened; The Bureau of Public Procurement should be domesticated in all government ministries, parastatals and agencies. The paper concludes that corruption has not only raised the cost of infrastructure but has also reduced the volume, quality of, durability, and the economic returns from infrastructural development in Nigeria. 
A Comparative Study Of Upstream And Downstream Water Quality Of Warri River, In Delta State, Southern Nigeria
Get PDFWarri River is a major river in Southern Nigeria which serves several poor communities’ water demands. As such the water from this river serves domestic, industrial and agricultural purposes. The river also serves as a means of transportation for people, companies and communities that exist on the islands that dot the Niger Delta Region. The importance of this river necessitated this study on ‘comparative Study of Upstream and Downstream Water Quality of Warri River’. The study was carried out by collecting water samples from the river between January 2022 to December 2022 using systematic sampling techniques at both the up and downstream sections of the river. A total of 48 water samples (using 100 meters apart) were collected and analysed for physicochemical and biological indices. The results showed that variations exist in the concentration of physicochemical and biological parameters in the upstream and downstream sections of the river. While such parameters as EC, temperature, TDS, TSS, BOD, COD, Na, Calcium, Potassium showed higher concentrations in the downstream section, others such as pH, DO, Zn and Fe recorded higher concentrations in the upstream section of the river. As a result of the characteristics observed,it was recommended that routine monitoring of human activities and testing of the river water be done from time to time, to harness the full capacity of the river and ensure eco-sustainability
A Systematic Literature Review Of Blue And Green Spaces Strategy For Climate Change Adaptation In Urban Residential Areas
Get PDFBlue-green spaces (BGS) comprise the natural and manmade schemes employed to alleviate the consequential impacts of climate change in urban residential areas, which include flooding, Urban Heat Islands (UHI), Higher Air Temperature (HAT), and global warming. Despite the global emerging trend of climate change variability, the adaptation of BGS to mitigate its devastating effects on urban residential areas has not been adequately addressed in the available literature. Therefore, the deficiency of empirical evidence on blue and green spaces for climate change adaptation in urban residential areas instigated this study. The preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) procedure was used to examine the adaptation of blue and green spaces for climate change mitigation in urban residential areas. Eighty-four articles extracted from current relevant data on the concepts of climate change, BGS, UHI and global warming over 10 years (2014 to 2023) were sourced from Scopus, Web of Science, SCImago, and Google Scholar databases for this study. Discoveries reveal that BGS adequately manages urban stormwater, and moderates urban heat and global warming. Advanced studies should focus on the influence of blue, green and grey spaces on climate change variability
Examination Of Conditions Of Neighbourhood Infrastructure In Prefab Estate, Owerri Capital Territory, Nigeria
Get PDFInterest in housing studies has grown over the years, particularly with increased consumer protection awareness. Thus, interest in housing shifted from production to marketing, then to adaptation of housing output to the desires of the residents. This paper examines neighbourhood infrastructure in Prefab estate, Owerri Imo State Nigeria. The estate was built by the state government. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect the conditions of neighbourhood infrastructure had on housing quality in the estate to provide appropriate feedback criteria meant for improving the housing quality of public housing estates. The methodology adopted for this research was survey design. The following were the findings: in availability and performance, the public infrastructure provided in the estates was found to be deficient. The material characteristics of the neighbourhood infrastructures (roads, walkways, pipe-borne water) and the physical environment in which they are situated were also examined. Some of the buildings are sound and do not require immediate repairs. A few of the buildings are either dilapidated or require major repairs and are thus unfit for safe habitation. The paper recommends continuous public enlightenment among the residents on the need to carry out regular maintenance of neighbourhood infrastructure for the improvement of the quality of the neighbourhoods. 
The Engagement Of Built-Environment Professionals, A Factor For Improving Housing Transformation In Public Housing Estates In Owerri, Nigeria
Get PDFThe need to improve housing quality in public housing estates has been a matter of concern to housing scholars in developing nations like Nigeria. Consequently, the problem of some residents transforming their houses without engaging built-environment professionals has been identified in literature. The objective of this study was to examine the engagement of building professionals during physical changes and its influence on addition of makeshift structures to public housing estates in Owerri Capital Territory. The study relied on data gathered through a questionnaire survey of 309 residents in the study population. The variables in focus: engagement of building professionals during physical changes and addition of makeshift structures at the fence of public housing estates in the study area were tested using Point Biserial analysis tool and the result showed a significant correlation with p<0.5. The implications of the findings were that engagement of relevant building professionals by residents in making physical changes in their housing will reduce the indiscriminate and inappropriate extension of makeshift structures at the fence of their houses. It was recommended that Government and public housing developers should ensure that certified building industry professionals carry out effective development control to mitigate the impact of transformation on housing quality
Ethno-Botanical Survey Of Plants Used By The Local Communities Of Sub-Urban District Of Zaria, Kaduna State
Get PDFThe study was carried out to investigate the ethnobotanical uses of medicinal plants by the local people in the Zaria district. Regular study trips were arranged throughout the area under investigation and the data was collected during the spring, summer and winter seasons of the period for one year using a design questionnaire and the survey shows that 43 species belonging to 23 families were used by the inhabitants of the district. Among them, Asteraceae, Solanaceae, and Lamiaceae were represented by 5 species each, and Asclepiadaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Mimosaceae, Moraceae Papillionaceae, Rosaceae Zygophyllaceae and Euphorbiace were represented by 2 species each. Apocynaceae, amaranthaceae, cannabaceae, celastraceae, colchicaceae, convulvulaceae, elaeagnaceae, fumariaceae, liliaceae, meliaceae, oleaceae, salicaceae, sapindaceae, and simaroubaceae were represented by 1 specie each. Several diseases and ailments are cured using these species of plants. Different parts including the stem, flowers, fruits, leaves, roots and seeds of these plants are used by the local inhabitants. These species are collected from the wild and are regularly utilized by the local inhabitants. Human activities such as over-exploitation, over-harvesting, grazing, and improper collection are depleting the local flora thereby eroding the genetic diversity of the plant; hence the need to take various preventive measures.