Despite the fact that there is an adage which says “prevention is better than cure”, so many people still fall victim due to negligence. Flood disaster according to researchers has been defined as a sudden calamitous event bringing great damage or loss, destruction and devastation to human lives and property, especially during rainy season.
However, the damage caused by flood disaster is mostly immeasurable and varies with the geographical location, climate and the type of earth surface or degrees of vulnerability. This influences the mental, socioeconomic, political and cultural state of the affected area and people. Experiences have shown that flood disaster on several occasions completely disrupt the normal day to day life, negatively influence the emergency system while normal needs and process like food, shelter, and health are affected and deteriorated depending on the intensity and severity of the disaster.
The recent flooding that has plagued some states in the federation has raised great concern about the nation’s stance towards the management and control of flood in Nigeria. As it has been the norm in recent times, Nigerian Hydrological Service Agency (NHSA), makes annual predictions on flood in Nigeria and this year is no different.
Furthermore, flooding in Nigeria occurs at the climax of the rainy season, with the first peak in June, before the August break. Thereafter, the month of September ushers in the second peak when the major devastation is expected. The seriousness of the flooding was attributed to a combination of two events which are the very heavy local rainfall and the release of excess water from the Lagdo Dam in nearby Cameroon.
Although, the degree and seriousness of flooding in Nigeria fluctuates, flooding remains a recurring phenomenon in most parts of the country. The first factor that aggravated flooding is climate change, which has been shown to contribute extreme storms and rainfall. Another factor that contributes to flooding in cities is the rapid urban growth and poor urban planning.
Meanwhile, the problem of flooding is not peculiar to Nigeria alone. In 2007, floods affected 1.5 million people across several countries in Africa including Uganda, Sudan, Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia and Niger. In Nigeria, for example, the worst flooding in recent memory happened six years ago in March 2012 when the 32 out of Nigeria’s 36 States were affected, 24 severely. More than 360 people lost their lives and almost 2 million people were displaced.
Consequently, being a natural occurrence, flooding often times defies scientific solutions. What is needed across the nation is a comprehensive plan to add up ecological infrastructure to complement engineering infrastructure, specifically to expand wetland and re-activate floodplains so as to mitigate future flood risks. Instead of letting the nation’s ecological infrastructure degrade further, federal and state authorities should work to expand and rebuild it.
However, in Anambra state, urbanization and industrialization increase the number of roads and buildings. This in turn increases the proportion of surface area where water cannot be absorbed into the ground, leading to rapid runoff which then causes flooding during storms. Apart from the physical damage unleashed by flooding, there are increasingly negative health implication to worry about as well. Cholera, gastroenteritis and other water borne disease can trigger off, putting increased strain on already over-stretched health facilities.
Specifically, the Anambra State Government has taken the lead in this regard with its announcement that it is to proceed on a comprehensive demolition of all landed property erected on wetlands, floodplains and drainage channels, especially on major cities and towns.
There should also be stricter enforcement of anti-dumping ordinances and other environmental laws. Tougher actions on defaulters is vital if this menace is to be curbed significantly in our states.
Finally, concerted efforts must be geared towards adequate urban planning, policy formulation, enhanced public enlightenment programmes, integration of environmental planning and education into school’s curriculum at all levels. Capacity building towards adaptation and mitigation of climate change should be encouraged. If only Nigerians and Ndi Anambra in particular can judiciously adopt these measures, flood disaster will not ravage our environment anymore. ,
Written by BENJAMIN OBINUGWU
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