Urbanization impact on the water resources with major Third World cities: A case study for Nairobi and its environs
Abstract
The expansion of low income urban dwellings (slums
and shanty towns) and the high level of unplanned and
poorly planned industrial developments have kept the
rivers and drainage systems within the city of Nairobi
and its environs under high levels of pollution.
Recent investigations of the surface waters around
Nairobi indicate that rivers Ngong, Mathare, Nairobi
and Rui Rwaka become heavily contaminated by heavy
metals after flowing through both the industrial area
and the low income urban centers. It is observed that
both Nairobi and Mathare rivers become especially pol-
luted after they flow through Majengo and Mathare
slums respectively. The Ngong river on the other hand
r
eceives oily and toxic heavy metal discharges as it
flows through the industrial area, while Rui Rwaka
r
eceives alcohol, heavy metals and offensive effluents
from the breweries factory as it flows through the area of
concern.
Chemical results of water samples collected from
the Ngong River at the industrial area show high elec-
trical conductivity and total dissolved solids (TDS) with
high pH and temperature compared with the upper
r
eaches of the river at Ngong Road. Mathare and
Nairobi rivers have higher electrical conductivity, and
dissolved solids (TDS) due to discharges into them as
they pass through the Majengo and Mathare slums
r
espectively. Rui Rwaka contains high total suspended
solids (TSS) after receiving the offensive effluent dis-
charges from the Breweries Factory. Water from these
rivers is used for drinking and for other domestic pur-
poses in those parts of the city and hence the exposure to
water borne diseases.
URI
http://www.episodes.co.in/www/backissues/214/225-22%20Wilson.pdfhttp://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/35680
Citation
Episodes, Vol. 21, no. 4Publisher
Department of Geology, University of Nairobi