Assessing the impacts of seasonal variation in rainfall on the state of street vending business and environmental health welfare in Kampala city

Abstract

This research was about assessing the impacts of seasonal variation in rainfall on the state of street vending business and environmental health welfare, where the study focused on three dimensions of ; investigating the correlation between the seasonal rainfall patterns and the sales performance on street vending businesses, analyzing the relationship between vending business and the environmental health welfare, and ultimately identifying the mitigation and sustainable solutions to reduce the impacts of seasonal variations in rainfall on street vending businesses and the environmental health within Kampala city. The research aimed at the socioeconomic and demographic impacts of seasonal variation in rainfall on the state of street vending business and environmental health welfare in Kampala city. The sampling frame was the street vendors of Kampala city. A sample of 110 street vendors was used and this was estimated using purposive sampling. Data was collected with the use of questionnaires drafted and interviews carried out. Analysis was done using SPSS. Descriptive and correlational statistics were done to answer the research objectives.From the findings, rainfall patterns had a negative impact on vending business and also vending business had a positive but very small impact on environmental welfare. Four possible mitigation measures to be employed in ensuring environmental welfare in the city is up to the standards were identified and these included creation of awareness about the environmental protection measures amongst the vendors, eviction of vendors found to be destroying the environment through their business, imposition of fines on some vendors and finally, identifying proper waste management procedures to be employed by the city council in ensuring an environmentally secure city.The study recommended that, street vendors should ensure they set up permanent premises for their businesses such that they can avoid any possible challenges of rains, city waste management authority should ensure every business set up in the city has an environmentally approved mechanism of handling wastes, city waste management authority should involve in drives to create awareness about waste management and environmental protection, and local authorities and central authorities like NEMA should come up with by-laws and laws that account for waste management including penalties for those caught on the wrong side of the law. The study concluded that, street vending wasn’t affecting the environmental welfare in the city as long as it could be managed well such that the street vendors have clear standard operating procedures when it comes to waste management for their business and also street vending business was facing a great challenge of rainfall patterns which would imply that in times of heavy rains businesses would come to a standstill and also the wastes from these businesses would become harmful to the environment.