Impact of Human activities on water qualities and sustainable water developmental programmes in Nigeria: A Review

Abstract

Water occupies the largest volume of space in the world and serves as the most prominent sustainable factor for the existence of life. However, human activities have altered the qualities and quantities of most water bodies in Nigeria in particular and the whole world in general. For instance, construction of dams has led to changes in the physical and chemical composition of the aquifer, which has consequently given rise to the growth of weeds that have rendered most water bodies unfit for irrigation and agricultural activities. Industrial effluents, detergents, agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides, as well as other surface run offs from industrial and farmland areas serves as ready reservoirs containing high concentrations of toxic elements and contaminants that could be harmful to life. This is a review of some of these activities of man that render such water bodies unfit for human use. This review has also shown that there is necessary need for government regulatory bodies and agencies on management of aquatic resources to make laws that will ensure safe water for consumption in Nigeria.