Water Pollution

URGENT STEPS NEEDED TO REDUCE WATER POLLUTION IN THE CITY

                              Port of Spain – Wrightson Road - Sea Lots Slum       

Water pollution in Port of Spain is a significant environmental threat especially along the Wrightson Road in the vicinity of the Sea Lots area. We know that water pollution is a human problem, but how serious is water pollution in this urban site? The dark, murky, smelly shoreline is like a dead zone as bottles, cans, paper, domestic waste, sewage and other discarded materials blanket the water surface and shoreline. 

                                           Bottles, Cans and Paper that lines the Shore

The once crystal clear waters have become a stagnant, black- ink, lifeless pit. There is a slum community nearby with patches of dilapidated shanty town buildings on the waterfront. The photograph was taken on the western side of the slums that are situated along the inlet and near the sea.

                                               Stagnant Black Water At Sea Lots

                            

This gave a clear depiction of the daily domestic waste that goes directly into the sea water. In close proximity was the Port of Spain Port which harbors boats, ferries, ships, cargo vessels and others cruise liners. The chemical and toxic waste from these vessels can also contribute to the poor water quality in the Sea Lots area.

                                                              Port of Spain Port

                                                 

Water pollution associated with urbanization in Sea Lots, Port of Spain is a serious problem and will result in serious consequences. Population growth and economic opportunity of urbanization create a demand for housing and living accommodations. "As more people are drawn to the cities for such  perceived advancements available to them, the abilities of cities  to meet the housing needs for the growing urban population has become increasingly problematic" (Hall and Barrett 2012: 261).  The new urban inhabitants migrates to the city to access employment opportunities, education, services with high hopes of a prosperous standard of living. Unfortunately, the new urban dwellers are unable to afford proper housing and their only option is to settle in the slums. Slum dwellers lack basic living conditions such as sanitation, clean drinking water, toilet facilities and security of land tenure. These disappointed and frustrated poor slum dwellers resort to unsanitary and unhealthy lifestyles. The overcrowded informal settlements tarnish the city especially the clean blue ocean. 

                                                               Water Front

                                      

The contaminants or harmful substances emitted directly into the sea causes water pollution. It’s all about the large quantities or how much polluting substances that are released into this volume of water. When people exceed those limits and impose increasing amounts of domestic waste, sewage and other harmful chemicals it leads to oxygen depletion and severe impacts on the whole ecosystem. The result is a dead zone of smelly, black murky water containing heavy metals, organic toxins and solids.

                                                  Smelly, Black Murky Water At Seelots

The Sea Lots slum is a well known area for population growth, high levels of poverty, unemployment and poor living conditions. As a result, the people of Sea Lots are point source contaminants that daily pollute the water and contribute to poor water quality. The increasing waste run-off directly into the ocean is contributing to the high levels of water pollution in the city of Port of Spain. According to (Hall and Barrett 2012: 275) "affordability is a key factor underpinning the match between demand and supply of housing". The slum houses that lines the shoreline of Port of Spain lacks basic infrastructure such as toilets and may use pit latrines. When rain falls the runoff flows directly into the sea. The dark muddy murky water and bad odor can be as a result of the slum runoff and point source domestic waste. This results in the contamination of water quality and reduces the aesthetic value of the environment. To add, water pollution reduces aquatic biodiversity and depletes marine food source.

For more information further reading can be done:

•  Over the years, slum population has experienced rapid growth and expansion in the city. The living conditions in slums are very unsanitary and unhealthy due to the lack of portable supply of water and sewage systems. Slums are point source pollutant discarding their waste directly into the water bodies and open environmental spaces. http://www.ijens.org/Vol_11_I_05/118005-6464-IJCEE-IJENS.pdf

• For further information on the impacts of pollution on the marine environment you can visit the link http://www.indjst.org/index.php/indjst/article/viewFile/29978/25933 which presents a case study on the impacts of pollution on marine ecosystem and the factors responsible for the degradation of these ecosystems. Suitable corrective measures are suggested to reduce the impact of pollution on marine ecosystems.

Reference
Hall, Tim. and Heather Barrett. (2012). Urban Geography 4^th edition. London and New York: Routledge.