The connectedness of Environment and Development is not only of a symbiotic relationship but also of mutual reciprocity in promoting the wellbeing of a people in a geographic location.
Every tangible or intangible development takes place in an environment of a people it is designed to benefit.
In the same way, the environment which hosts every development plays vital role in preserving or destroying such development.
Consequently, both environment and development enhance each other and ultimately shape or be shaped by the people around them.
To further explain their inter-connectivity, environment can be referred to as the totality of man’s surroundings and simply summarized as, everything man finds, touches and feels in his environment.
These include land and all that grows and stand on it. It also includes air in all its eight component elements of Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide and other gases of harmful consequences to man if released uncontrolled in greater percentage volumes.
The environment is also made up of the hydrosphere comprising surface and underground waters and all that live in them. All these contribute to raise the living standard of the people through higher income, provision of jobs, better education and healthcare.
It also contribute to the attainment of cultural and humanistic values that are capable of enhancing and generating individual and national self-esteem of the people.
Another important objective of development is to expand the range of economic and social choices to individuals and nations by freeing them from servitude, dependence and the forces of ignorance and human misery.
Therefore, the mere construction of roads, flyovers and putting up of bogus and gigantic structures that do not reflect or impact on the basic necessities of survival and wellbeing of the population in a sustainable manner, is not development.
Against this background of true meaning of environment and development, one can really appreciate the efforts of the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, in re-defining and re-addressing the development priorities of Abia State and setting them aright.
Since its creation in 1991, Abia State has passed through the hands of five military Administrators and four Civilian Governors before the emergence of Dr. Alex Otti on 29th May 2023.
Incidentally and verifiably, of all the administrations, non like Dr. Otti’s administration has taken a holistic look at the inter-connectivity of environment and development as is being taken today.
It is important to note that while embarking on value-added road infrastructure rehabilitation across the state, the Governor has insisted that critical development projects must take the approach of ameliorating the lopsidedness of past administrations.
He has also made sure that every development project approved and executed by his administration must incorporate an effective environmental and community impact support strategy to make them sustainable.
No doubt, Abia State is fast assuming the headquarters hub of Micro, Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs in the nation with Aba as the centre of attraction.
This needs a robust and Integrated Waste Management System that is capable of promoting a sustainable development in that sector. In the same way, the Education sector, which is also being retrofitted by the education friendly Governor, requires sustainable environmental practices to succeed.
It is for these reasons that both governmental and non-governmental organizations must work in synergy to ensure that issues concerning environment and development are not left to chance and after thought management.
Luckily however, there are available and accessible Global, Regional and National financial and non financial windows of assistance that could be domesticated in mobilizing the needed resources to tackle problems of environmental and developmental glitches in Abia State.
To this end, there is need for the establishment of a state steering committee on Sustainable Environmental practices and Development towards realizing the hope-alive vision of Dr. Alex Otti in rebuilding and developing Abia State.
It is a vision which sees our communities and the people as the pivot of attitudinal change to promote and sustain all programmes to develop Abia State.
