ASSESSMENT OF BIODIVERSITY PERCEPTIONS OF SUSTAINABLE URBAN DRAINAGE SYSTEMS IN RESIDENTIAL PLOTS IN SATELLITE TOWN, LAGOS, NIGERIA

Abstract

Over the years, biodiversity decline have constantly being a major consequence of urban development due to the problems of design, enlightenment and planning. This study aims at evaluating the perceptions of residential plot users as regards plant biodiversity enhancement in open spaces within setbacks of their residential plots with a view of proposing a framework for enhancement and environmental sustenance within the urban development. The research focused on the plant biodiversity potentials of sustainable urban drainage system infiltration strategies, which is a water management strategy utilizing natural process, generally occurring as natural elements of unpaved areas within open spaces in setbacks of residential plots in Satellite town, Lagos, Nigeria. It utilized questionnaires distributed to elicit information on their socio-economic, residential site, sustainable urban drainage system statuses. Analysis, which involved descriptive statistics, spearman correlation analysis and regression analysis were carried out using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 21. The study revealed that the plant biodiversity perceptions of a residential site provided by the SUDS facilities, though varied with age, educational level and income status, is largely dependent on setback space, the level of unpaving and natural elements making up SUDS facility. The study concluded that through Government’s implementation of the reduced level of paved area and adornment with natural elements of the percentage area set aside in the residential plot during approval and monitoring will improve plant biodiversity.