Tag Archive for: Environmental degradation

Urban cities are noted for technological and economic advancement but are also the convergent localities for poverty, humans’ disparity, environmental degradations and the propagation of communicable diseases. This study examined groundwater distribution in urban settlement with a view to identify and proffer solutions to the associated problems of improper distribution of groundwater in such area. Literature search was employed mainly to unravel the various groundwater distribution techniques and inferences were made on how to improve the distribution techniques. The study reveal springs, sunk wells and boreholes as the main methods of groundwater distribution in urban areas. Urban settlement leads to uncontrollable rise in population which adversely affects the quantity and quality of the groundwater. There is a general decrease in quantity due to overexploitation while the quality degraded as a result of pollution from industrial waste and the people.  In addition, pollution could be linked to saltwater intrusion since most urban regions of the world are in the coastal area. Groundwater distribution could be ameliorated through recharge management employing artificial recharge. Degraded groundwater quality could be treated to the standard of potable water. Protecting  groundwater  resources  amidst  the  prevailing  rapid  urbanization represent  a  considerable  challenge  that  can  lead  to  escalating  costs  of provision  of  drinking  water  in  the  areas  and  cause considerable decrease  in  public  health conditions. Also, as  it  is  technologically  difficult  and  economically  expensive  to  treat  a contaminated  aquifer,  groundwater  protection  measures  must  be  sought beforehand.