PARTNERSHIP APPROACH IN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: A STRATEGY TO SOLVING URBAN PROBLEMS IN LAFIA TOWN, NIGERIA

摘要

The environment is increasingly characterized in terms of a crisis situation. The unique and complex characteristics of the environment entail social, political, and economic implications in its management. This paper describes the responsibilities of urban management institutions toward an efficient management of the environment in accordance with the constitution and national policies on the environment but in practice, their operations are limited due to weak finances and little expertise in environmental management. Therefore, the community seems to have taken over the management of their environment in terms of water supply and sanitation service in a disorderly manner. The paper highlights the current state of these services and their institutional framework in Lafia town, and calls for a partnership approach in managing these urban problems. The paper also describes the existing policies that were developed in support of partnership in line with good governance norms and illustrates this with an account of the experience of best practices in the world to evolve a partnership approach for environmental management in Lafia town. This paper then examined the potentials benefits and challenges of the partnership and recommends ways of addressing the challenges.