Mapping Environmental Health Injustice in Chuka Town Through Land Use Refinement Method and Dispersal Modeling GIS Based Techniques

Kibetu Dickson Kinoti

doi:doi:10.11648/j.hep.20170201.12

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Mapping Environmental Health Injustice in Chuka Town Through Land Use Refinement Method and Dispersal Modeling GIS Based Techniques

Kibetu Dickson Kinoti

Published in International Journal of Health Economics and Policy (Volume 2, Issue 1)

Received: 8 December 2016 Accepted: 28 December 2016 Published: 19 January 2017

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Abstract

As the world population becomes urbanized, issues of environmental health, justice and equity are growing in interest. In developing countries, improper waste management contributes to environmental related health risks. In Kenya particularly, dumpsites are located close to residential blocks in urban areas exposing surrounding communities to olfactory nuisance, toxic smokes and diseases. To document cases of local environmental health injustice, sub population at exposure risk to smoke plume was assessed using a case study of Chuka town open dump site. Framework adopted in evaluating potential health risks was that on principles of risk assessment and Geographic Information System (GIS) based modeling. In this study, land use refinement and dispersal modeling methods were used to estimate population at exposure risk. The findings shown about 55,162 persons living along the smoke dispersion route were at high risk of exposure to hazardous smoke plumes. The exposure risk showed a spatial variation across the blocks in relation to land use and terrain. Over 73 percent of population in the affected blocks engaged in informal sector employment and were the less advantaged groups of this town’s urban community. The results of this study are consistent with those of related studies which have shown that location of noxious facilities is often within neighborhoods of minority urban poor. For the case of Chuka town, relocation of the dumpsite to a less populated block and the engagement of affected communities in mitigating the injustice will ease the ecological burden currently borne by these sub population.

Published in	International Journal of Health Economics and Policy (Volume 2, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.hep.20170201.12
Page(s)	6-11
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2017. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Exposure Risk, Environmental Health Justice, Blocks, Dispersal Modeling, Land Use Refinement Method

References

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[4]	Eric, S., Helga, L., Robert, B., Mcmaster, Hongguo, T., (1999). GIS-based measures of environmental equity: exploring their sensitivity and significance. Journal of exposure analysis and environmental epidemiology. 9, 18–28.
[5]	Glickman T. S (1994). Measuring environmental equity with Geographic Information Systems. Renewable Resource.12 (3): 17–21.
[6]	Gonzalez, C. A., Kogevinas, M., Gadea, E., Huici, A., Bosch, A., Bleda, M. J., Papke, O (2000). Bio monitoring study of people living near and working at a municipal solid-waste incinerator before and after two years of operation. Archives of Environmental Health 55, 259–267.
[7]	Kasperson, K. H, (1985) Framework for Assessment and Management of Hazards.
[8]	Kibetu, D. K (2011) GIS-based Approach to Municipal Solid Waste Management: A case study of Embu Municipality. Unpublished Master’s Dissertation, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi.
[9]	Kim Oanh, N. T., Chutimon, P., Ekbordin, W., Supat, W., (2005). Meteorological pattern classification and application for forecasting air pollution episode potential in a mountain-valley area. Atmos. Environ. 39, 1211-1225.
[10]	McMaster R., Leitner H., Sheppard E (1997). GIS-based environmental equity and risk assessment: methodological problems and prospects. Cartography and Geographic Information System.24 (3): 172–189.
[11]	Rushton, L (2003). Health hazards and Waste Management. British Medical Bulletin: 68, 183–197.
[12]	Spokas, K., Bogner, J., Chanton, J. P., Morcet, M., Aran, C., Graff, C., Moreau-Le Golvan, Y., Hebe, I (2006). Methane mass balance at three landfill sites: what is the efficiency of capture by gas collection systems? Waste Management. 26, 516-525.
[13]	Sui D. Z., Giardino J (1995) Applications of GIS in environmental equity analysis: a multi-scale and multi-zoning scheme study for the city of Houston, Texas, USA. Proceedings GIS/LIS ’95. GIS/LIS’95 Annual Conference and Exposition.14–16 November 1995. Nashville, TN. pp. 950–959.
[14]	Tammemagi, H. Y (1999). The Waste Crisis: Landfills, Incinerators and the Search for a Sustainable Future. Oxford University Press, New York.
[15]	U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, (2009) Environmental Justice Home page. Available on: http://www.epa.gov/ environmental justice. Accessed on 15th July, 2016.

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Kibetu Dickson Kinoti. (2017). Mapping Environmental Health Injustice in Chuka Town Through Land Use Refinement Method and Dispersal Modeling GIS Based Techniques. International Journal of Health Economics and Policy, 2(1), 6-11. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hep.20170201.12

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ACS Style

Kibetu Dickson Kinoti. Mapping Environmental Health Injustice in Chuka Town Through Land Use Refinement Method and Dispersal Modeling GIS Based Techniques. Int. J. Health Econ. Policy 2017, 2(1), 6-11. doi: 10.11648/j.hep.20170201.12

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AMA Style

Kibetu Dickson Kinoti. Mapping Environmental Health Injustice in Chuka Town Through Land Use Refinement Method and Dispersal Modeling GIS Based Techniques. Int J Health Econ Policy. 2017;2(1):6-11. doi: 10.11648/j.hep.20170201.12

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@article{10.11648/j.hep.20170201.12,
  author = {Kibetu Dickson Kinoti},
  title = {Mapping Environmental Health Injustice in Chuka Town Through Land Use Refinement Method and Dispersal Modeling GIS Based Techniques},
  journal = {International Journal of Health Economics and Policy},
  volume = {2},
  number = {1},
  pages = {6-11},
  doi = {10.11648/j.hep.20170201.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hep.20170201.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.hep.20170201.12},
  abstract = {As the world population becomes urbanized, issues of environmental health, justice and equity are growing in interest. In developing countries, improper waste management contributes to environmental related health risks. In Kenya particularly, dumpsites are located close to residential blocks in urban areas exposing surrounding communities to olfactory nuisance, toxic smokes and diseases. To document cases of local environmental health injustice, sub population at exposure risk to smoke plume was assessed using a case study of Chuka town open dump site. Framework adopted in evaluating potential health risks was that on principles of risk assessment and Geographic Information System (GIS) based modeling. In this study, land use refinement and dispersal modeling methods were used to estimate population at exposure risk. The findings shown about 55,162 persons living along the smoke dispersion route were at high risk of exposure to hazardous smoke plumes. The exposure risk showed a spatial variation across the blocks in relation to land use and terrain. Over 73 percent of population in the affected blocks engaged in informal sector employment and were the less advantaged groups of this town’s urban community. The results of this study are consistent with those of related studies which have shown that location of noxious facilities is often within neighborhoods of minority urban poor. For the case of Chuka town, relocation of the dumpsite to a less populated block and the engagement of affected communities in mitigating the injustice will ease the ecological burden currently borne by these sub population.},
 year = {2017}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Mapping Environmental Health Injustice in Chuka Town Through Land Use Refinement Method and Dispersal Modeling GIS Based Techniques
AU  - Kibetu Dickson Kinoti
Y1  - 2017/01/19
PY  - 2017
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hep.20170201.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.hep.20170201.12
T2  - International Journal of Health Economics and Policy
JF  - International Journal of Health Economics and Policy
JO  - International Journal of Health Economics and Policy
SP  - 6
EP  - 11
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2578-9309
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hep.20170201.12
AB  - As the world population becomes urbanized, issues of environmental health, justice and equity are growing in interest. In developing countries, improper waste management contributes to environmental related health risks. In Kenya particularly, dumpsites are located close to residential blocks in urban areas exposing surrounding communities to olfactory nuisance, toxic smokes and diseases. To document cases of local environmental health injustice, sub population at exposure risk to smoke plume was assessed using a case study of Chuka town open dump site. Framework adopted in evaluating potential health risks was that on principles of risk assessment and Geographic Information System (GIS) based modeling. In this study, land use refinement and dispersal modeling methods were used to estimate population at exposure risk. The findings shown about 55,162 persons living along the smoke dispersion route were at high risk of exposure to hazardous smoke plumes. The exposure risk showed a spatial variation across the blocks in relation to land use and terrain. Over 73 percent of population in the affected blocks engaged in informal sector employment and were the less advantaged groups of this town’s urban community. The results of this study are consistent with those of related studies which have shown that location of noxious facilities is often within neighborhoods of minority urban poor. For the case of Chuka town, relocation of the dumpsite to a less populated block and the engagement of affected communities in mitigating the injustice will ease the ecological burden currently borne by these sub population.
VL  - 2
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Author Information

Kibetu Dickson Kinoti

Department of Arts and Humanities, Chuka University, Chuka, Kenya

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Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Kibetu Dickson Kinoti. (2017). Mapping Environmental Health Injustice in Chuka Town Through Land Use Refinement Method and Dispersal Modeling GIS Based Techniques. International Journal of Health Economics and Policy, 2(1), 6-11. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hep.20170201.12

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ACS Style

Kibetu Dickson Kinoti. Mapping Environmental Health Injustice in Chuka Town Through Land Use Refinement Method and Dispersal Modeling GIS Based Techniques. Int. J. Health Econ. Policy 2017, 2(1), 6-11. doi: 10.11648/j.hep.20170201.12

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AMA Style

Kibetu Dickson Kinoti. Mapping Environmental Health Injustice in Chuka Town Through Land Use Refinement Method and Dispersal Modeling GIS Based Techniques. Int J Health Econ Policy. 2017;2(1):6-11. doi: 10.11648/j.hep.20170201.12

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@article{10.11648/j.hep.20170201.12,
  author = {Kibetu Dickson Kinoti},
  title = {Mapping Environmental Health Injustice in Chuka Town Through Land Use Refinement Method and Dispersal Modeling GIS Based Techniques},
  journal = {International Journal of Health Economics and Policy},
  volume = {2},
  number = {1},
  pages = {6-11},
  doi = {10.11648/j.hep.20170201.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hep.20170201.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.hep.20170201.12},
  abstract = {As the world population becomes urbanized, issues of environmental health, justice and equity are growing in interest. In developing countries, improper waste management contributes to environmental related health risks. In Kenya particularly, dumpsites are located close to residential blocks in urban areas exposing surrounding communities to olfactory nuisance, toxic smokes and diseases. To document cases of local environmental health injustice, sub population at exposure risk to smoke plume was assessed using a case study of Chuka town open dump site. Framework adopted in evaluating potential health risks was that on principles of risk assessment and Geographic Information System (GIS) based modeling. In this study, land use refinement and dispersal modeling methods were used to estimate population at exposure risk. The findings shown about 55,162 persons living along the smoke dispersion route were at high risk of exposure to hazardous smoke plumes. The exposure risk showed a spatial variation across the blocks in relation to land use and terrain. Over 73 percent of population in the affected blocks engaged in informal sector employment and were the less advantaged groups of this town’s urban community. The results of this study are consistent with those of related studies which have shown that location of noxious facilities is often within neighborhoods of minority urban poor. For the case of Chuka town, relocation of the dumpsite to a less populated block and the engagement of affected communities in mitigating the injustice will ease the ecological burden currently borne by these sub population.},
 year = {2017}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Mapping Environmental Health Injustice in Chuka Town Through Land Use Refinement Method and Dispersal Modeling GIS Based Techniques
AU  - Kibetu Dickson Kinoti
Y1  - 2017/01/19
PY  - 2017
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hep.20170201.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.hep.20170201.12
T2  - International Journal of Health Economics and Policy
JF  - International Journal of Health Economics and Policy
JO  - International Journal of Health Economics and Policy
SP  - 6
EP  - 11
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2578-9309
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hep.20170201.12
AB  - As the world population becomes urbanized, issues of environmental health, justice and equity are growing in interest. In developing countries, improper waste management contributes to environmental related health risks. In Kenya particularly, dumpsites are located close to residential blocks in urban areas exposing surrounding communities to olfactory nuisance, toxic smokes and diseases. To document cases of local environmental health injustice, sub population at exposure risk to smoke plume was assessed using a case study of Chuka town open dump site. Framework adopted in evaluating potential health risks was that on principles of risk assessment and Geographic Information System (GIS) based modeling. In this study, land use refinement and dispersal modeling methods were used to estimate population at exposure risk. The findings shown about 55,162 persons living along the smoke dispersion route were at high risk of exposure to hazardous smoke plumes. The exposure risk showed a spatial variation across the blocks in relation to land use and terrain. Over 73 percent of population in the affected blocks engaged in informal sector employment and were the less advantaged groups of this town’s urban community. The results of this study are consistent with those of related studies which have shown that location of noxious facilities is often within neighborhoods of minority urban poor. For the case of Chuka town, relocation of the dumpsite to a less populated block and the engagement of affected communities in mitigating the injustice will ease the ecological burden currently borne by these sub population.
VL  - 2
IS  - 1
ER  -

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