Browsing by Author "Dennis, Stephen K."

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    The Health Impact of Fuel Wood Utilization on Users in Yelwa Village, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
    (Department of Geography, Nasarawa State University Keffi, 2017-02-01) Nasiru, Idris Medugu; Kadafa, A.A.; Dennis, Stephen K.; Medan, J.D.
    The health effects associated with the use of domestic’s energy in rural Nigeria, is associated with epileptic power supply, cost of other source of domestic energy, these has necessitated rural dwellers to highly dependent on traditional means of energy as there source of domestic energy supply, these has led to associated indoor pollution, unsafe level of toxic emission, air pollution, deforestation and consequently leads to health hazard in the area. These coupled with closeness to the forest, high levels of poverty, weak management and lack of coordination between households, local and traditional leaders in the provision of alternative source of domestic’s energy other than fuel wood in the study area. These have constituted one of the major causes of health hazard, deforestation and massive destruction of indigenous trees in Nigeria. The study attempts to highlight how the households in Yelwa village utilized domestic energy and investigate the health impact of fuel wood utilization in Yelwa village. Poverty and income has been identified as the major factors influencing rural households choice of domestic energy consumption in Africa especially Nigeria. In rural areas, over dependence on fuel wood has universally been recognized as one of the major threat to forestry ecosystems. The resultant effects of the consumption of this resource are various environmental problems such as climate change, erosion, flooding, and deforestation, among others. Other fuel wood related impacts on human include air pollution, eye problem, respiratory problem, and heart disease among others.Based on these identified problems caused by the over dependence on fuel wood, this study sought to assess the health impact of fuel wood utilization on users, and the possible means of controlling the identified impact on households in Yelwa village, Toto LGA, Nasarawa State. Questionnaires were administered to households. The study found Fuel wood utilization in the study area is increasing on daily basis as a result of the lack of access to clean and affordable energy. Consequently, Poverty, household’s size, income level of the dwellers, among others are the drivers of fuel wood utilization in the study area, leading to several health problems. Recommendation for the potentials of exploitation of renewable energy resources of energy in place of fuel wood; with the aim of removing the present pressure of rural Nigerian on forest resources for fuel wood as the mainstay of domestic cooking energy.