ue to resource constraints andweak governance structures, many small- and medium-sizedAfrican cities find it difficult to create and enforce environmentallaws in areas with strong religious and cultural beliefs
The paper concludes that the problem isn't just the noise itself, but a failure of governance and lack of resources to enforce laws. This suggests that technical solutions alone won't work without addressing the underlying political and economic issues.
nearly three-quarters (72.3%) of Osogbo residents frequently experience lossof sleep (insomnia) during the night due to high levels ofnocturnal noise pollution from sources, such as nightclubs,generating sets, parties, traffic, and noise from religiousactivities.
This is a shocking statistic. It directly links high nighttime noise levels to a major health problem (insomnia) for a huge majority of residents. This clearly shows the convergence between the measured high noise levels and the perceived negative health impacts. This would be a great quote for Project 2 or 3.
hat themean daylight sound levels of industrial land use (72.85 dB),residential land use (55.42 dB), commercial land use (76.61 dB),and transportation use (80.67 dB) are higher than the WHOmaximum standards sound levels of 50, 60, and 55 dB for variousland uses. Similarly, the nocturnal sound levels for the three landuses were 48, 72, and 61.7 dB for residential, commercial, andmixed land uses, respectively. These figures also exceeded theWHO standards of 35, 50, and 45 dB for residential, commercial,and mixed land uses, respectively.
Even in residential areas, the average daytime noise level (55.42 dB) is higher than the WHO's recommended maximum (50 dB). This is a specific piece of evidence showing the problem isn't just in commercial or transport areas; it's affecting people where they live.
The data for this study were obtained through a field survey,questionnaire administration, and group discussion/interview.
The authors used a mix of quantitative like sound-level meter in the field survey and qualitative like questionnaires, interviews methods. This is called a mixed-methods approach and makes their findings more robust because it combines objective data with subjective human experience.
hese effects are divided into four categories:physical effects (e.g., hearing defects), physiological effects(e.g., increased blood pressure, irregular heart rhythms, andpeptic ulcers), psychological effects (e.g., disorders, sleeplessnessand late sleeping, irritability, and stress), and effects on workperformance (e.g., decreased productivity and misinterpretationof what is heard (Oyedepo 2013).
Noise isn't just annoying; it has four distinct categories of negative health impacts. This is a great, concise list of the specific health risks I can reference later. The physiological effects like increased blood pressure are especially surprising.
dies relating actual noise levels to perceived noise pollution in the context of rapidly urbanizingmedium-sized cities of the Global South are scarce. Th
This sentence identifies the main research gap the study is trying to fill. It's not just about noise, but about comparing measured noise with what people feel in medium-sized cities in the Global South. This is the core purpose of the article.