DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/gjer.v14i1.5 GLOBAL JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING RESEARCH VOL 14, 2015: 33-45 COPYRIGHT© BACHUDO SCIENCE CO. LTD PRINTED IN NIGERIA. ISSN 1596-292x 33 www.globaljournalseries.com ; [email protected] URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN THE THIRD WORLD AND THREAT TO WETLANDS: THE CASE STUDY OF CALABAR, NIGERIA AJAH E. OBIA, EKPEYONG B. ITAM AND ANIEDI E. ARCHIBONG (Received 26 March 2015; Revision Accepted 23 June 2015) ABSTRACT Wetlands constitute only two percent of the world’s land mass. Yet, a total of 10% of the world population live in wetlands. Also, about 13% of global urban settlements are found in wetlands. Coastal ecosystems are among the most productive in the world and are among the most threatened. A significant global response to this threat was the 1971 Convention held in Ramsar, Iran, to save the world’s wetlands. Unfortunately, most developing countries are not signatories to the convention, and those that are have paid passive attention to its articles; leading to massive loss of wetlands in these countries. Cities along water ways and basins (such as Calabar) are known for their rapid growth. Calabar has witnessed a rapid urban growth of recent. This growth has led to severe encroachment into the city’s wetlands formed by the Great Kwa and Calabar Rivers with the attendant degradation of the ecosystems. This paper examines the danger posed by the spread of the city to these wetlands and proffers solutions that would check the incursion into these pristine natural habitats. The paper also recommends the development of eco-tourism resort as part of the larger Calabar urban landscape architecture. This will add to the tourism potentials of the city as envisaged by Cross River State. KEYWORDS : Calabar, Coastal ecosystem, Kwa River, Ramsar Convention, wetlands INTRODUCTION the world and among the most threatened (MEA, 2005). It is the realization of this threat of recent Human habitations and civilizations have that the world responded by holding a conference been known to flourish in the depressions in 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar to chart a between highlands and along the course ways of way forward to save the world’s wetlands water. The valleys provide fertile plains for (Matthews, 1993 and MEA, 2005). agriculture while the waterways provide the This paper first examines existing routes for communication and transportation. literature on wetlands, including the These plains and water margins, having more contemporary world views on such lands as well than their fair share of hydrologic constitution, as their multiple ecologically relevant functions. form the world’s wetlands, with peculiar The paper also specifically examines the threat vegetations and habitats. Wetlands, with their posed by population growth and the attendant unique ecosystems, constitute only two percent urban development on the existing Calabar city of the world’s land, contain 10% of its population, wetlands, against the backdrop of the potential of and 13% of its urban settlements (McGranahan the architectural development of these wetlands et al, 2007). According to Millennium Ecosystem for ecotourism resorts. At the end, the paper Assessment, coastal ecosystems, both onshore recommends a policy change towards the and offshore, are among the most productive in conservation of wetlands amongst others. Ajah E. Obia, Department of Architecture, Cross River University of Technology, Calabar, Nigeria. Ekpeyong B. Itam, Department of Architecture, Cross River University of Technology, Calabar, Nigeria. Aniedi E. Archibong, Department of Architecture, Cross River University of Technology, Calabar, Nigeria. 34 AJAH E. OBIA, EKPEYONG B. ITAM AND ANIEDI E. ARCHIBONG 1.1. The Contemporary Worldview on fen, peat land or water, whether natural or Wetlands artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that The relationship between man and wetlands is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, began at the point of conflict. From prehistoric including areas of marine water, the depth of times man has viewed wetlands as wastelands, which at low tide does not exceed six meters” disastrous realms, custodians of diseases and (Barbier et al, 1997 and MEA, 2005). Article 2.1 obstacles to meaningful development (Matthews, of Ramsar Convention further provides that 1993; Barbier et al, 1997 and EPA, 2006). wetlands “may incorporate riparian and coastal Consistent with this perception, it was presumed zones adjacent to wetlands, and islands or that the most appropriate action for wetlands was bodies of marine water deeper than six metres at reclamation, which actually resulted in the low tide lying within the wetlands” (Barbier et al, destruction and loss of several hectares of 1997 and MEA, 2005). The ecological character wetlands. In the course of the 20 th century alone, of a wetland is “the combination of the ecosystem wetlands were exposed to massive degradation components, processes and services that and destruction, as a consequence of which characterize the wetland at a given point in time” about 50 % of the wetlands were lost. On the (MEA 2005). The wise use of wetlands involves whole, wetlands have been threatened with “the maintenance of their ecological character degradation and destruction more than any other within the context of sustainable development ecosystem of the world (MEA, 2005 and UN- and achieved through the implementation of HABITAT, 2009). ecosystem approaches” (MEA, 2005). Notwithstanding the persistent negative Wetlands are simply described as the and hostile attitudes to wetlands, man has interfacial ecosystem located between terrestrial consistently enjoyed the immense benefits that ecosystems and aquatic ecosystems. They are wetlands offer, since the establishment of the also described as ecotones, being that they earliest urban conurbations in Mesopotamia manifest as transitional elements between nearly five millennia ago (UN-HABITAT, 2009). terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (Greb et al The realization of this truth has led to changes in 2006). The wetland ecosystems cover 6 percent man’s attitudes to wetlands in the present day. of the land area of the world (Bullock and The worldview about wetlands has changed very Acreman , 2003 Schuyt and Brander 2004) - put dramatically since the second half of the 20 th together this amounts to as much as 1,280 century; they are now regarded among the most million hectares; a territorial mass that is biologically productive ecosystems, being equivalent to 50 % the land area of Brazil or 33 % comparable only to tropical rainforests and coral the land area of USA (MEA 2005). Within the reefs in the diversity of biological species that context of the contemporary worldview on they contain (EPA, 2006). Much of the present wetlands, they make very significant contributions change in attitude towards wetlands of the world to the human environment, namely: food, water is attributable to the work of the Ramsar supply, water purification, flood control, climate Convention of 1971 (full title: Ramsar Convention regulation, coastline protection, recreation and on Wetlands of International Importance). The tourism (EPA 2001 and MEA 2005). In addition, Convention came into being following the they perform a wide range of beneficial functions international treaty that was signed on 2 February in the human environment and also make very 1971 by the representatives of 18 nations at the significant contributions to human well-being little Iranian town of Ramsar (Matthews, 1993 (Horwitz et al 2012). They have also become and MEA, 2005). The extent of the change of important elements in freshwater management at attitude to wetlands is demonstrated by the fact international as well as local levels. that, in many countries of the world, there is The economic contributions of wetlands outright prohibition of degradation of wetlands in constitute another significant consideration the present day (Barbier et al 1997). pertaining to wetlands; these contributions can be The definitions and terminologies of the better understood through the application of Ramsar Convention offer useful guidance some environmental resource valuation towards the sustainable and beneficial use of frameworks. In the determination of the economic wetlands. According to the Millennium Ecosystem uses of wetlands distinction is usually made Assessment of 2005 (MEA, 2005), wetlands have between two sets of values, namely: use values been defined in Article 1.1 of the Convention text and non-use values. Use values include the of the Ramsar Convention as “areas of marsh, direct use of wetland goods (such as food, fuel URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN T HE THIRD WORLD AND THREAT TO WETLANDS 35 wood et cetera) and also indirect uses (such as: from agricultural sites and municipal wastes are water retention, flood control, mitigation of picked up by the roots of wetland plants, thus climate-change impacts etc). Non-use values eliminating the risks of eutrophication in the include aesthetics, cultural interpretations, adjacent aquatic ecosystems. Some wetlands amongst others (Schuyt and Brander 2004). In have been known to have reduced the the determination of the economic values of concentrations of nitrogen in water by as much wetlands the framework that has been adopted as 80 percent. In the rhizosphere regions of the as most appropriate is the total economic value wetland plants, other pollutants and harmful (TEV) . This framework distinguishes between microorganisms are filtered out of water. This present use and potential