Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
development was not linked to a corresponding expansion in the public service and the
economic sector in general, and resulted in a failure to secure employment for the
increased population of the city (Zinyama 1993). The increasing unemployment rate and
the diminishing prospect for formal sector jobs lead to marginal employment activities
such as those described as home industries, as the only survival strategy for a large
number of the population.
GERMIN (1991) reported that the activities included in the IS and forming the basis
of the home industries, consisted of textiles, food, beverages, tobacco, leather production,
wood and wood processing, construction, furniture and other manufacturing and micro
enterprises. The vast majority of the activities were carried out by women, and consisted
of knitting, crocheting and sewing. Males dominate the more complex and relatively
larger activities such as carpentry, garages, metal works, brick-making and construction.
The medium and small enterprises could roughly be divided into three broad groups. The
first group accounts for 70% of all people involved in the urban IS and home industries,
and is engaged mainly in grass cane bamboo processing and beer brewing. It includes the
bulk of under-employed people, whose enterprises provide a temporary income, thus
generating a safety net in respect to live survival. The second group, consisting in about
20% and is mainly involved in construction, retail trade of grocery and welding. The third
group accounts for about 10%, enjoys a relatively substantial annual profit, and includes
activities such as printing, furniture repair, bottle stores, flour mills, general trade, retail
hardware and garments, auto works such as garages and other repairs.
Considering the IS as a possible diffuse pollution source, it could be mentioned that
the vast majority of the activities do not generate a considerable amount of waste
associated with the manufacturing process, but could be regarded as diffuse pollution
source due to improper storage of materials and spreading of residues over the area.
Specific attention with respect to pollution abatement measures should be given to
garages, leather processing and brick-making activities.
2.2
The regulatory practice
Regulatory instruments, such as standards, which are enforceable in the legal
environment, usually are designed to address the status of water resources at a national
scale, and as such do not include special comments or requirements with regard to low-
income areas. Typically, such areas form part of the urban environment and the
regulation of diffuse pollution from such areas should be incorporated in the local
authorities by-laws and similar regulatory instruments. It is strongly recommended that
diffuse pollution control and abatement in low-income areas should be included as one
integrated and indispensable part of storm water management and environmental
protection programs at local level. Central and regional authorities could support such
activities by helping with expertise, and in some cases, with financial support. However,
the local community and its management structure should be the developer, owner and
executor of such types of programs.
It has been highlighted that diffuse pollution through runoff from these areas is
dispersed in terms of both, spatial and temporal variation; therefore, its monitoring and
control should be orientated towards the water quality of the streams, rivers or other
natural water bodies, which are the interceptor of runoff from such areas. Such type of
