How I Lost My Phone (and Found a Climate Solution)
The gutters in Nigeria are clogged with solid waste — but could bioswales provide an alternative approach that can also save water (and phones)?
It was one of those rare evenings when the weather is usually cooler despite the recent heat waves. The perfect evening for a stroll. Though I had a very strong temptation to use a motorcycle, I just could not resist the urge to feel the wind blowing subtly on my skin, to experience such a comfort after many hot and unbearable nights.
Swinging my hips gently, enjoying the sounds of nature mixed with that of human activity, my journey was almost coming to an end as I was already close to my junction, when my hips hit my hands and my phone which had been in my hands all along, suddenly fell off, and guess where? Into the “FILTHY DRAINAGE”!
At that moment, my heart sank. First and foremost, I tried my best to maintain my composure because it was quite a shock, and then I turned to look at the drainage system and goodness, it was damn polluted! The dirty water mixed with fungi and spyrogyras, the plastic nylons and containers — all greeted me, but not quite warmly. I suddenly remembered a post I once saw online, “HEART BREAK COMES IN DIFFERENT WAYS”.
My imagination began to run wild, with streams of questions flowing in and out of my mind. “Why did I not take the cycle?”, Do I just leave this smart phone and go?” (I remembered my SIM card and memory card after this question), “How will I retrieve my phone from this gutter?”, “Where do I start from?”, all of these and more were running rampant through my mind. I know how well I avoid looking at these contaminated gutters even while walking along the road out of the fear that I might throw up at the sight of it but at this time I found myself trapped with it all because I had to save my phone.
For once in my life, I really wished the gutters were dried, I wished Nigeria had a more sustainable environment, then I would not be in such a mess.
I managed to remove my phone after mustering up courage, ignoring the stares and apologies, and by the time my phone was out of that dirty stormwater, I knew there is no way it was going to return to a good shape again.
Sadly, such is the state of the drainages and drainage systems in Nigeria — popularly known as a “gutter”. A question running through your mind at this point could be, “How is the topic of climate change related to some irrelevant gutter in a third world country?”
I’m going to show you how, if you’re willing to follow me. To the gutter.
A ‘gutter’ is an open drainage system that runs along the side of roads, streets and buildings. These structures collect and drain away surface water and waste water from areas surrounding it.
Gutters have been known to significantly reduce flooding in flood-prone areas by draining water after a very heavy rainfall — and when sea level rise is at its peak.
As an engineering geology major myself, I’ve worked in the construction industry both as an undergraduate intern and a graduate, and have had the opportunity to witness the construction of these open drainages. Before any road can be completely constructed, the drainage system must be established in place to avoid damages done to the road by water.
Because of it’s importance to every Nigerian resident, you would expect that it should be pampered like a member of the royal family but that is far from it — I mean as far as Pluto is from the sun!
The majority of gutters in Nigeria are clogged up with all manner of rubbish including degradable and non degradable solid wastes and liquid wastes of all sorts. The waste did not end up in the gutters by magic — rather it came about as a result of intentional littering by unenlightened individuals. It reminds me of a popular quote from the Bible where God said “My people perish for lack of knowledge”.
So, despite the undisputed importance of our drainages, we still have people adding to our climatic problems. If the average Nigerian knew that his actions were adding to our many problems, maybe his actions would be different.
The different ways in which clogged gutters have affected the climate are thus:
- Compounding Effects: Areas with clogged drainages may be more vulnerable to flooding as climate change continues.
- Urban Heat Island Effect: Clogged drainages contribute to the urban heat island effect, which can exacerbate the effects of climate change by increasing temperatures in urban areas.
I’m particularly concerned with the Urban heat island effect because of how much it affects the climate! When drainages are clogged, they cannot effectively remove water from the streets and surrounding areas. This means that more water remains on the ground, which increases humidity and lowers the amount of evaporative cooling in the area. This, combined with the fact that water is darker than most surfaces, increases the amount of solar radiation absorbed and stored in the surrounding environment. Fascinating right?!
Well, if I’m going to dwell on the problems without offering a solution, I guess I’d be no different from a nagging wife! So, let’s see what solutions are available.
First and foremost, Nigerians need to know that the drainages aren’t trash bins. This can be achieved by giving proper and adequate orientation to the masses, which is obviously lacking. Television and radio adverts, physical sensitization in schools, organizations and personal conversations would also help a great deal, and is probably the most important step.
Another idea is to incorporate green infrastructure into urban planning, which can help to reduce the urban heat island effect and provide other benefits, like stormwater management and air quality improvement.
For example, green roofs and green walls could be installed, which use plants and other vegetation to cool buildings and reduce the amount of heat absorbed by the surrounding environment. This is definitely going to be a big innovation for my country but would certainly not be impossible in the long run.
As an engineer, I think the idea of incorporating bioswales into our infrastructure would really aid in reducing flooding due to clogged drainages and mitigating the effects of climate change.
Bioswales are designed to slow the flow of water and capture pollutants, which can help reduce the amount of stormwater runoff that contributes to flooding. They also absorb heat and provide shade, which can help to reduce the urban heat island effect.
Plus, bioswales provide habitats for plants and animals, which can help to increase biodiversity in urban areas and improve overall air and water quality.
In Nigeria, bioswales are not yet in use, but discussions have already begun in some states like Lagos State, to introduce it to their construction system. This is a good development, as soon, other States would begin to adopt it when it becomes a success in Lagos.
I trust that with consistent collaboration with knowledgeable individuals, groups like Non-governmental organizations, and the government, the purpose of sensitization — and even the addition of green infrastructure to construction projects, would be achieved.
Since bioswales act as a natural trap, capturing up to 90% of litter and debris to prevent their entry into waterways and the environment, it poses the question: “Could a clean bioswale have saved my phone?” I guess we’ll never know until we try.
