Economic factors affecting environmental pollution in two Nigerian cities: A comparative study

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Urban Studies
• Environmental Economics

Background:

• Environmental quality is a critical sustainability issue intricately linked with economic realities.
• Understanding the interplay between economic factors and pollution is crucial for effective environmental management in urban areas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a comparative analysis of economic factors influencing pollution in Iwo and Ibadan metropolises.
• To identify and rank the most significant economic determinants of environmental pollution in these two urban settings.

Main Methods:

• Administered 1067 structured questionnaires across Iwo and Ibadan, retrieving 215 and 658 responses, respectively.
• Evaluated six economic factors: income, living standards, waste/noise management, energy use, green economy inclination, and waste sorting adoption.
• Utilized KMO and Bartlett's Test of Sphericity for data factorability, followed by factor analysis to determine significant variables.

Main Results:

• Three economic variables significantly explained 59.3% of pollution in Iwo and 60.2% in Ibadan.
• In Iwo, key factors were waste/noise management (22.5%), living standards (18.7%), and green economy inclination (18.3%).
• In Ibadan, the primary factors were living standards (24.4%), green economy inclination (18.8%), and waste/noise management (17.0%). Common factors showed varied importance by location.

Conclusions:

• Accommodation and living standards, alongside inclination towards a green economy, are significant determinants of environmental pollution.
• The influence of economic factors on pollution is common to both cities but varies in order and degree of importance, indicating location dependency.
• Stakeholders should consider living standards and green economy adoption in policy formulation to address environmental pollution effectively.