H.A.P. AUDU

The study addressed the critical challenge of ensuring safe and sustainable borehole water quality in the University of Benin, Benin City, Edo Satae, Nigeria, where contamination risks from anthropogenic and environmental factors threaten public health. The study aimed to assess spatial variations in borehole water quality, evaluate compliance with national and international standards such as the NSDWQ and WHO standard and visualize contamination risk zones using GIS techniques.
Geographic coordinates were obtained using a GPS navigation tool called coordinate and water samples for laboratory analysis were collected at three borehole sites: A, B and C and their respective distribution points. Thirty-four physicochemical and microbial parameters were analyzed in accordance with the APHA standard laboratory procedures. The Weighted Arithmetic Water Quality Index (WAWQI) method was applied to compute the WQI for each sampling point. The results were integrated into ArcGIS Pro software, where shapefiles were created and thematic maps generated to show spatial distribution of WQI and individual parameters relative to environmental features such as septic tanks and drainage channels. The results of the pH, electrical conductivity, turbidity, total dissolved solids, values ranged from 4.8 to 6.0, 110 to 305 µS/cm, 3.48 to 4.04 NTU and 56 to 153 mg/L respectively. Calcium and Magnesium ranged from 2.87 to 7.14 mg/L and 1.61 to 4.00 mg/L respectively corroborating the low hardness values of 13.8 to 37.6 mg/L.
Concentrations of iron, manganese, zinc, copper ranged from 0.210 to 0.327 mg/L, 0.045 to 0.070 mg/L, 0.107 to 0.167 mg/L and 0.017 to 0.026 mg/L respectively. Microbiological results revealed that total heterotrophic bacterial counts were present in Borehole B and distribution points A and C at 10 × 10³ CFU/mL, all samples tested negative for coliforms and E. coli, indicating the absence of fecal contamination. Boreholes points A and B had WQI values of 61.27 and 57.30, inferring good quality, while Borehole C, distribution points A, B and C exhibited higher WQI values of 73.94, 82.79, 79.64 and 98.80 respectively reflecting post-storage contamination and influence from surrounding activities having a water quality grade of poor in line with the WHO and NSDWQ standards. The study concluded that GIS proved highly effective in visualizing spatial water quality variations and identifying areas at risk of contamination.

In Nigeria, road construction is often followed by neglect, with little or no provision for maintenance. This accelerates pavement deterioration due to factors such as rain fall, traffic loads, poor drainage, and harsh environmental conditions. This study aims to evaluate the condition of a 0.25 km road connecting Ethiope River Road and the University of Benin Back Gate (Ugbowo Campus). The study involved a field survey to document visible deterioration, followed by an assessment using the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) and Pavement Condition Rating (PCR) methods. The procedure adhered to ASTM D6433-07 standards, with the roadway divided into 5 sample units. Each unit was inspected for distress type, severity, and extent, and PCI values were calculated and categorized from “Failed” to “Excellent.” The results were analyzed and mapped using ArcGIS software for spatial visualization. The calculated PCI values for the five sample units, S1, S2, S3, S4 and S5 were 75, 49, 62, 55, and 32 respectively. These values correspond to pavement condition ratings (PCR) spanning from Satisfactory to Very Poor. The overall PCI for the road section was determined by computing the average of the individual unit PCI values, yielding an overall PCI of 54.6 for the Ekosodin Road, which classifies the pavement as being in a poor condition according to ASTM D6433-07 standards. The GIS-based spatial analysis revealed a concentration of severe pavement distresses toward the mid and lower portions of the road, suggesting localized structural and drainage-related problems. The results (Overall PCI of 54.6 and the digitized road section) indicates that while the pavement remains marginally serviceable, it requires urgent maintenance and partial rehabilitation to restore its functionality and prevent further deterioration. The combined use of PCI, PCR, and GIS tools proved to be a reliable and effective approach for comprehensive pavement condition assessment and should be adopted for routine pavement management within the University of Benin and similar environments

The occurrence of natural catastrophes has significantly increased in recent times due to various factors such as environmental degradation, climatic change, rapid population growth, and intensified and improper land uses (Dev.Econ. 2017). Some of the impacts of natural disasters on human settlements include severe injuries and fatalities, damage to properties and infrastructure, economic losses as well as social disruptions (Adeagbo. et al., 2016). Among natural disasters, flood deserves special attention because it is one of the most frequent and costliest in terms of human and economic losses: it constitutes 31% of the total
economic damages resulting from natural disasters globally (Yalcin and Akyurek 2004). Impacts, may persist for months or years, and secondary impact, include health-related problem, may emerge