Assessment of the Effects of Quarrying Activities on the Environment: A Case Study of Lengijave Village, Arusha District

William, Loisiligaki (2020) Assessment of the Effects of Quarrying Activities on the Environment: A Case Study of Lengijave Village, Arusha District. Masters thesis, The Open University of Tanzania.

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Abstract

The main aim of this study was to unearth the effects of quarrying activities on the physical environment in Lengijave Village in Arusha District. The general objective of this study was to assess the effect of quarrying activities on the environment on Lengijave Village. Specifically this study identified environmental effects of the gravel quarry activities on the study area, examined local community awareness on the effects of quarrying activities on the environment and determined measures to address the effects of gravel quarrying activity on the environment. The target population of this study was heads of households, quarry workers and quarry owners. Questionnaires, interview, observation and documentary literature review were used for data collection. Questionnaires were administered to heads of households, quarry workers, quarry owtheners and people living next to the quarries to gather the required data. Direct observation was used to identify the effects of quarrying activities on the environment. Stratified random sampling technique was used to get a sample of 99 respondents, which was used to answer research questions. The information collected was analyzed using SPPS to generate frequencies and statistical tables for the interpretation of data. Further, content analysis was used for data collected using interviews. The findings of the study indicated that workers did not have protective gears which are a requirement in their profession. This increases the effects of the health of the quarry workers. The findings showed that regardless of the important role that quarrying activities played in the economic growth; it resulted in negative effects on the environment such as soil erosion, land degradation, biodiversity loss as well affected the human health in general. The study recommended training to quarry workers, the community should be given entrepreneurial skills so that they engage in other activities for then to earn income for their families. This will reduce the concentration on the gravel quarrying activities and the government should revoke licenses of that those quarrying owners who do not adhere to the set of laws.

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