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Article Title:
Capacity Building Strategy for Sustainable Environmental Sanitation in Imo State, Nigeria
by Pat-Mbano, E., and Ezirim O. N.

Abstract:
Environmental Sanitation is defined in this paper as the principles and practice of effecting healthful and hygienic conditions in the environment to promote public health and welfare, improve quality of life, reduce poverty and ensure a sustainable environment. Quality health and hygienic conditions is a fundamental right of all Nigerian citizens. While sanitation programmes and projects are relatively uniformly distributed throughout urban Nigeria, their impact on human welfare and life has been minimal. The Environmental Sanitation Policy and Programmes have been developed with scant attention to socio-cultural realities and contemporary challenges. The greatest challenge faced by the implementers of the Environmental Sanitation Policy and Programmes today is the exclusion of human capacity building as vital part of the programme implementation. This trend has contributed significantly to the high prevalence of communicable diseases that have continued to ravage the populace with grave health and economic consequences. No doubt, unhealthy population and damaged environment hinder progress towards developmental goals and there cannot be a healthy nation without healthy environment. Therefore, a wide range of actions are required to solve environmental sanitation problems in order to reduce and avert their consequential effects. This paper examines some cross cutting issues in the implementation of the existing environmental sanitation policy, programmes and projects. The paper also evolves a strategic framework for effective capacity building and empowerment of urban communities which could give credence to Sustainable Environmental Sanitation.

Keywords: environmental, programme, urban communities, capacity building, sustainable development

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