Socio-Environmental Considerations at the Usuma Reservoir in Abuja, Nigeria

Reservoirs are Man’s attempt towards water re-distribution from regions/seasons of abundance/surplus to regions/seasons of scarcity. This study focuses on socio-environmental impacts of the Lower Usuma dam in Abuja, on its four surrounding communities. Stratified random sampling technique was employed in the administration of a questionnaire to 200 respondents. Using descriptive statistics and the student t-test for the analysis, the study discovered that: (i) there has been no significant improvement in infrastructure provision by Government; (ii) cases of water-borne diseases are high; (iii) the communities have lost land for cultivation; and, (iv) the communities believe that the resettlement scheme is not commensurate with their losses. It is recommended, thus: (i) the relocation scheme implemented for the four communities be reviewed with a view to improving the living conditions of the affected communities in terms of providing infrastructure (water and roads, educational and health facilities), and (ii) Strategic Environmental Assessment is encouraged for such projects.