Groundwater serves as a source of freshwater for agricultural, industrial and domestic purposes and it accounts for about 42%, 27% and 36% respectively. As it remains the only source of all-year-round supply of freshwater globally, it is of vital importance as regards water security, human survival and sustainable agriculture. The main goal of this study is to identify the main cause-effect relationship between human activities and the state of groundwater quality using a communication tool (the DPSIR Model; Drivers, Pressures, State, Impact and Response). A total of twenty-one samples were collected from ten peri-urban communities scattered across three conterminous Local Government Areas in Southwestern Nigeria. Each of the groundwater samples was tested for twelve parameterstotal dissolved solids, pH, bicarbonate, chloride, lead, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, sulphate, magnesium and total suspended solids. The study revealed that the concentrations of DO and Pb were above threshold limits, while pH and N were just below the threshold and others elements were within acceptable limits based on Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality and Nigeria Standard for Drinking Water Quality. The study revealed that groundwater quality levels from the sampled wells are under pressure leading to reduction in the amount of freshwater availability. This is a first-order setback in achieving access to freshwater as a sustainable development goal across Less Developed Communities (LDCs) globally. To combat this threat, there is the need for an integrated approach in response towards groundwater conservation and sustainability by all stakeholders.

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The progressive nature of urbanization plays a prominent role in land–atmosphere processes, which have corresponding impacts on the general environment. This research investigated the changing patterns of the land use land cover over Osogbo and its environs using remote sensing data obtained from Landsat TM, ETM+ and OLI/TIRS sensors. The changes in four land use classes were assessed for the years 1984, 2000 and 2015. The land surface temperature (LST) of the area was estimated from the satellite images covering the study periods, and the surface urban heat island (SUHI) process was also investigated between the city of Osogbo and the surrounding towns. The results showed major urban expansion leading to urban sprawl within the vicinity. Urban area increased by 5106 ha while vegetation decreased by 8653 ha between 1984 and 2015 indicating major variations in the land surface features. This was revealed by the increase in the LST over the locations which ranged between 22.6°C and 30°C (mean, 25.2°C) in 1984 and between 29.3°C and 36.7°C (mean, 31°C) in 2015. The highest SUHI intensity was observed between the major urban area (Osogbo) and least developed towns. The continuous increase in the surface temperature of the environment due to the continuous variations in the land surface properties implies increased risk of heat-related environmental issues such as deterioration of thermal comfort conditions.

Many research works emphasized on rainfall pattern and urban flooding while others