NIGERIA'S ANNUAL FLOOD REPORT (How Nigeria introduce tree planting to avoid water runoff on land)

| Share |

Home >
Our Actions >
Ambassador report

5
Comments

ambassador Report View
NIGERIA'S ANNUAL FLOOD REPORT (How Nigeria introduce tree planting to avoid water runoff on land)
by Alesandra Ibobo \| 21-04-2018 00:03 0
As the rainy season approaches in Nigeria, floods are expected to affect many sites situated in flood vulnerable locations such as Lagos, Niger, Benue, Borno and even the Federal Capital Territory-Abuja. The vulnerability mapping indicates that about 59 camps could be exposed to flooding hazards, as they are located along or close to water flow accumulation areas. Paired with the continuous influx of IDP's is existing sites and to Local Government Areas level of congestion in IDP sites this will increase health and sanitation concerns. As I write this report, it's been raining gradually here in Abuja, Nigeria. And the preparation to the raining season requires urgent intervention in terms of WFI and retrofitting of unsafe shelter units, through the provision of emergency shelter materials to reinforce structures against strong winds and rains. Most Nigerians have started preparing for the forth coming rainy season in May. Communities and cities mostly affected by flooding are in panick recently, knowing the season is fast approaching and recalling past experience associated with ignoring forecasts and warning by the government. In 2012 flood disaster in Nigeria was massive and occurred in almost all the states in the federation, with the most horrific in the southwest and Northern part of Nigeria. These floods causes huge destruction to the rural and urban infrastructures ( farmland, crops, roads, buildings and damages bridges and power lines etc) and socio economic lives of these areas. Apart from the houses which are collapse by flooding, market places as well as farmlands are submerged for weeks and sometimes are washed away. Due to these effects, most locals in the rural communities are being displaced and a number of lives lost in the incident. Most residents results in sleeping in churches, mosques and uncompleted buildings that are rarely affected by the floods these exposes them to dangers and health problems like cough, flu etc. Hence floodings in Nigeria needs an emergency response. One of the cities seriously affected by flooding is Lagos state, with most of its cities flooded with the slightest rainfall examples are Lekki, Ekpe, Ajegunle, Iba, Agege, Ijora just to mention a few. Lagos which is a commercial city in Nigeria is been urbanised rapidly. By some estimates there will be 19 million people in the city by 2050, making it the 11th most populous city in the world. Urbanization and Industrialization increases the number of roads and buildings this in turn causes the proposition of surface area where water cannot be absorbed into the ground, leading to rapid runoff which causes flooding during storms. Development does not cause flooding but can make it worse. The using of rooftops prevents some rainfall from being absorbed by soil, this causes the amount of runoff flowing into storm drain areas. Lagos has not kept up with its infrastructural needs. The growth and expansion of the city has been largely unregulated. This has result to inadequate and poor housing, the development of slum and improper waste management. But with the city's drainage system mostly poorly planned and in some places nonexistent, flooding has become a costly annual experience. This can be used on paved roads, streets flooded and over flowing street gutters. Nigeria should be prepared for this year's rainy season to avoid serious disaster by floods. The minister of Water resources, Suleiman Adamu, spoke on this issue in Abuja some months ago, and sympathise with victims. He also gave assurance that the flow of water would be monitored by Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), to be issued across the country and advice people to adhere to the advice in the recent annual flood outlook issued by the NIHSA and other agencies. He also said that the ministry would embark on a sensitization campaign. In the collaboration with NIHSA to educate as on the importance of tree planting in effort to reduce erosion and flooding, particularly in the grassroot level.

Dormant user Alesandra Ibobo

5 Comments

Elizaveta Zaretskaya says :
Thank you very much for your interesting report!
Posted 22-04-2018 07:53

Joon Ho Mentor says :
Hello Alesandra, I was a bit worried and sad when I kept reading down the report but the last paragraph just shook away those feelings!
Hopefully it is working well, and the system provided by the association and group of people engaged in flood management looks efficient.
I had heard about Nigerian Delta region, but I was not sure whether regions mentioned above are to do so with delta region!
Now I could make a quick search and it made me learn a bit of Nigerian territory and regions at risk of flood!
Thanks for the report!
Posted 22-04-2018 06:14

Mohamed Rashid says :
This has been wonderful report as Nigerian government is needed to have early warning system
Posted 21-04-2018 01:26

Gyeongrin mentor says :
Hello Alesandra!
We should be prepared of flood, since when flood occurs it is hard to stop. I hope the government's announcement about the monitoring of the flow of water by Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) could be kept successfully so that no other tragic accident would happen again.
Thanks for the report!
Posted 21-04-2018 01:14