Waste Management and Environmental Protection for Community Sustainable Development in Nigeria

Abstract

Waste, environmental protection and community sustainability are products of development, and most daily activities of human beings generate waste. The negative consequences of economic development have long been observed by eminent economic theorists, such as Smith, Marx, Malthus, Ricardo and Mill (Clarin, 2018). There are some indicators that show that most countries have failed to achieve sustainable development, and some countries are far from it. There has also been a growing concern about the environmental limit to growth and development as well as the imperative of environmental quality and management. As a result, this paper firstly conceptualized the following terms-“Waste”,“Waste Management”,“Environment”, “Environmental Sustainability”, Community, Community Sustainability, and Sustainable Development. The paper further discussed the composition of waste materials in Nigeria. It again examined various international and national measures or activities taken in relation to the concept of community sustainable development. The scholars in addition discussed the rationale for environmental protection and the negative impacts of waste on Nigerian environment. Furthermore, several measures taken internationally and nationally to ameliorate the negative impacts of wastes on environment were concisely discussed.