Assessment of the Role of Greenbelts in Environmental and Socio-Economic Development of Urban Areas in Southeast Nigeria

摘要

As urban areas in many developing countries continue to witness rapid spatial and demographic growth, the sustenance of greenbelts is seriously threatened due to increasing demand for land for housing and provision of urban infrastructure. However, in a country like Nigeria, there is a lack of clarity on some contentious issues regarding urban greenbelts. This study investigated the role of greenbelts in environment and socio-economic development of cities in southeastern Nigeria. A questionnaire survey of 300 built environment professionals, including architects, engineers, town planners, land surveyors, quantity surveyors and property developers was conducted in the study area. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests of significance and it was observed that although around 75.3% of the respondents agreed that green belts contribute to increasing pressure on the existing land in the study area; most of the participants indicated that greenbelts play significant role in urban environment sustainability and socio-economic development by protecting air and water, serving as local sources of food and medicine, means of preserving agricultural land, promoting biodiversity and preventing urban land degradation. In addition, prohibiting housing and physical developments in greenbelts and using Brownfields as alternative sources of land for housing were identified as the possible strategies for preserving urban greenbelts in the study area. This research is intrusive in revealing the key roles greenbelts play in urban development agenda and the possible ways for preserving them in rapidly urbanizing regions in Nigeria and beyond.