Visual Pollution in Addis Ababa, The Case of outdoor advertisement in selected city centers

Abstract

Visual pollution is one of the study areas which has been formulated in recent decades. This makes it a field of study with little known about it. Although it is not studied well visual pollution is and has been affecting human beings’ day-to-day activities. This negative effect of visual pollution is widely seen in developing countries due to either there is no law to regulate the visual canvas of the city or problem in the implementation of rules about visual quality. The objective of this study was to explore the cause and effect of visual pollution being caused by outdoor advertisements in Addis Abeba’s selected places. In this study in addition to finding the cause and effect of visual pollution by outdoor advertisement quantification of visual pollution being caused by outdoor advertisement was addressed. To collect data both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods were employed. For the qualitative data collection, the method used was questionnaire and interview. The questionnaires were designed and delivered to be filed by 385 sample populations and the interviews were conducted with a group of expertise in the area of the advertisement industry. To get qualitative data, the visual pollution assessment tool formulated by Khadija was used. The findings from the data collected were, the cause for visual pollution by outdoor advertisement is the weakness and unwillingness of the government to formulate and implement governing policies and regulations. The effect of outdoor advertisement visual pollution onto the community was found to be a major distraction and being disturbed when they are in polluted areas. Thirdly average visual pollution of the city Addis Abeba was 68.91%, from this 68.91% pollution 13.02% of which is contributed by outdoor advertisements which are posted onto the urban canvas. This will make outdoor advertisement which shared 18.89% of the total visual pollution one of the most pollutant visual polluting objects. Thus, we can imply that Addis Abeba is highly visually polluted by outdoor advertisement and needs a holistic approach from the government and other stockholders to reduce visual pollution by outdoor advertisement. Finally, as this study was made on only one visual polluting object category future academic studies should work on the general visual polluting objects and their effect on the community in general.