The quality of both the built and natural environment is vital for the sustainable growth and development of the district. Developmental initiatives can only be meaningful and sustainable when it is founded on a well managed and healthy built environment. To this end the protection of natural environment to prevent deforestation, land degradation and loss of ecosystem is paramount. The District Natural and Built Environment are therefore examined in this section.

Natural Environment
The District’s Natural environment is characterized by numerous problems emanating from the rainfall pattern, nature of soils, use of energy resources, farming and household activities.

The pattern of rainfall experienced in the district to a large extent contributes to the environmental degradation of the district. From November to March when the rains are off, the area becomes dry and the vegetation is destroyed by bush fires leaving the land bare. This serves as avenue for extensive soil erosion when the rains set-in in April. This phenomenon has led to extensive land degradation in most parts of the district.

A significant portion of the district abound in clay soils and this poses serious problems for human and vehicle movement due to the floods that are normally associated with clay with the on set of the rains. About 99.9% of the population depends on fuel wood and charcoal as the main source of energy for both domestic and commercial purposes. The collection of fuel wood and the burning of charcoal lead to environmental degradation in all the settlements in the district.

The main problems associated with the use of charcoal and fuel wood as the main sources of energy includes.
•    Deforestation
•    Soil erosion
•    Loss of soil fertility
•    Ecological imbalance
The practice of clearing and burning the vegetation for farming in the district also cause erosion and deforestation in the district.
The main problems of the district environment and sanitation are caused by household activities. About 80% of the population in the district disposes of both solid and liquid waste within the vicinity of their houses and these are carried in to the various water bodies by run-offs thereby polluting them. The logical consequence of this is the wide spread incidence of sanitation related diseases such as diarrhea, bilharzias, river blindness, dysentery etc.

Built Environment
The current state of the built environment leaves much to be desired. This is traceable to poor spatial planning, poor waste management, lack of bye laws, poor building technology etc. With the absence of effective development control machinery in the district, physical development has been haphazard and uncoordinated leading to incompatible land uses especially in the urban and semi urban settlements of Dambai, Asukawkaw, Tokuroano and Donnabin etc. Worse still the general absence of drains in the district has exposed most communities to severe erosion resulting in rills and gullies and these exposed foundations of buildings. Similarly, large portions of the roads in the Districts are badly eroded increasing traveling time by over 200%.

A number of sites have been reported to contain essentials mineral deposits including crude oil, gold, clay, tile stone etc. However, further investigations need to be conducted to ascertain the facts about these sites. The sites include:
•    Rich Island at Adukpanchuru containing crude oil deposits
•    Gold deposits at Kunda
•    Tile stone deposits at Kunda and Asukawkaw
•    Sand deposits at Dormabin
•    Smooth sand deposits at Kparekpare
•    Gravel at Anyabor and Kparekpare
•    Clay at Asukawkaw