Assessing Environmental Sustainability of the Built Environment in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

Kano Metropolis is undergoing rapid urbanization, resulting in a high urban growth rate that is a major challenge for urban environmental sustainability. This study evaluates the environmental sustainability of the built environment in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria, with a view to providing solutions to the increasing pressures from population expansion, infrastructural strain, and environmental degradation. Using a descriptive research design, a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire was administered for data collection by employing the Delphi technique; 23 experts across multiple environment-related disciplines were selected purposively for the study. The key indicators of the built environment include housing, infrastructure, and aesthetics. The responses were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis in the SPSS environment using mean values, standard deviation, and percentage, as well as consensus level, to determine the availability and quality of these indicators. Results show that Housing, Infrastructures, and Aesthetics have considerably low means and SD that range from 1.91 to 2.70 and 0.90 to 1.36, 2.13 to 2.74 and 0.76 to 1.36, 2.04 to 2.48 and 0.93 to 1.30, respectively. Housing was found to be poorly designed, unaffordable, and lacked basic amenities. Infrastructure such as road networks, drainage, and waste management systems was inadequate, while Aesthetic components, including green spaces, recreational areas, and structure spacing, were notably deficient. These deficiencies reflect broader issues of weak urban planning, over-exploitation of natural resources, and ineffective environmental governance. Hence, there is a need to adopt sustainable construction practices using local and agro-based materials, policy-driven urban densification, and the protection of green and open spaces.