Human Activities and the Sustainability of Freshwater Ecosystems: The Roles of Industrial Production and Farming/Crop Production in Calabar Education Zone, Cross River State, Nigeria 2 0
Keywords:
Human activities, Freshwater ecosystem sustainability, Industrial production, Farming, Crop production, Water pollution, Calabar Education Zone, Environmental educationAbstract
The combination of freshwater ecosystems being among the most vulnerable ecosystems on the planet, and the rapid increase in the impacts of human activities on the ecosystems, makes the situation disturbing. This study examined the impacts of industrial production and farming/ crop production in the Calabar Education Zone, Cross River State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was used to analyze secondary data and systematically review ten empirical studies published between 2015 and 2020. The Pressure-State-Response (PSR) model was the theory used.It was found that industrial production made freshwater systems worse on account of discharging untreated effluents with heavy metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, and organic pollutants. Farming and crop production contaminated freshwater with nutrients, such as Nitrate and Phosphate, pesticide residues, and sediments that caused eutrophication, decrease dissolved oxygen and threaten aquatic life. It was found that in the study area, both activities created cumulative and synergistic impacts on freshwater systems. It was suggested that industries must treat their effluents before discharging them. Sustainable farming and crop production must be adopted (with the use of buffer zones and integrated pest management), regulatory agencies must be empowered to do their work, the community members must be allowed to do monitoring, and freshwater ecosystem sustainability must be integrated in environmental education in the Calabar Education Zone.
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