ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses the thesis that urban development and environmental management reinforce each other in the planning of cities and plays a central role in stronger and stable economies for a sustainable development. It focuses on Onitsha and environs, an area of intense urban development, notable as an important commercial and industrial centre in Nigeria. The chapter explores the nature of environmental problems associated with land use in the rapidly growing areas of Onitsha and its environs with a view to exploring environmental planning and management options for achieving sustainable development in the area. The continued growth of industrial and commercial activities in Onitsha with the resultant increase in its population has generated rapid rise in demand for land for residential space as well as locations for the expanding commercial and industrial activities in the area respectively. Varying degrees of environmental problems occur when management of land use and environmental resources are weak and are exacerbated by rapid urban growth.