From Our Housing Stand (121)
Nigeria is one of the most flood-prone countries in west Africa. Many areas experience annual flooding. This happens during heavy rainfall.
It has become customary for the federal government, through the appropriate institutions, to notify state governments and local communities of approaching floods in susceptible areas in the run-up to the rainy season.
These warnings and forecasts are intended to incite the necessary preventive actions to lessen the threat of this naturally occurring and human-caused calamity that plagues our surroundings. The Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) forecasted that 31 states and 148 local government areas (LGAs) are located in high flood risk zones during the 2024 Annual Flood Outlook.
Flooding is a complex problem in Nigeria that is caused by both natural and man-made sources. Heavy rainfall overwhelms many urban areas’ drainage systems, which is the main natural cause.
Human actions intensify these innate factors. Urbanisation greatly exacerbates the issue due to poor drainage systems and bad planning. Water cannot flow through many cities’ antiquated or badly maintained drainage systems efficiently because they are frequently choked with garbage.
Some of the worst flooding disaster in recent memory happened years ago in March 2012 when 32 of Nigeria’s 36 states were affected, 24 severely. More than 360 people were killed and almost 2 million people were displaced.
The severity of the flooding was attributed to a combination of two events: very heavy local rainfall and the release of excess water from the Lagdo Dam in nearby Cameroon
Deforestation and land degradation also have a significant impact because they lessen the ground’s capacity to hold water, which results in surface runoff that fuels flooding.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has been putting into practice a thorough plan to lessen the effects of floods in response to these risks.
Optimizing early warning systems is a major facet of this approach. To give vulnerable areas timely notifications, it is also imperative to make use of real-time data and cutting edge technologies.
Building Resilience Against floods
There’s no way to influence rainfall variability, especially in the short term. But green engineering can help protect humans and the environment. There are two strategies that Nigeria can easily use.
They are proper dam management and tree planting. These initiatives will reduce the speed of water flow and reduce the impact of floods.
Another easy intervention is the process of risk mapping, assessment and planning for floods. This informs how resources should be distributed and how to reduce risk. It has been successful in countries such as Romania and Bulgaria.
Then there is forecasting. It is a complex process that is continually being improved as artificial intelligence and machine learning are incorporated into the prediction technologies. Capacity building is required to improve the reliability of forecasting in the country.
Both the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency and the Nigerian Meteorology Agency provide timely precipitation forecasts for water-related disaster management.
The World Meteorological Organisation has supported forecasting services in west Africa through its Severe Weather Forecasting Demonstration Project. The project would be more beneficial if it operated in all meteorological centres across the country.
For weather forecasting to deliver quality data, there is a need to continuously invest in equipment and review performance. For instance, the NigeriaSat-2 was built to provide high-resolution imagery of the Earth’s surface but it’s past its design life.
Drainage systems can be developed and improved by channels or ditches, and piping that directs excess rainwater and sewage to a point of disposal. Sustainable urban drainage systems are becoming common given their multiple benefits such as reducing the effects of pollution.
It is also important to maintains extensive collaborations with international partners, local governments, and state disaster management organisations to guarantee a cohesive and efficient response.
Reducing the risk of floods can be achieved by combining these steps with tight enforcement of environmental standards.
Optimizing early warning systems is a major facet of this approach. To give vulnerable areas timely notifications.
Successful implementation of these infrastructure projects requires sufficient finance as well as political will.
Investing in technology is also essential for mitigating the effects of disasters. Predictive analytics and real-time monitoring can improve early warning systems by enabling more precise forecasts and prompt interventions.
Another necessary measure to ensure the effectiveness of flood mitigation techniques is community engagement. Residents’ active involvement in preserving and safeguarding their neighborhood environment can have a big impact. Simple yet efficient actions that can avoid clogs in drainage systems and lower the danger of flooding include regular community cleanups, appropriate waste disposal procedures, and adherence to environmental regulations.
Long-term solutions are required to address the underlying causes of floods in addition to emergency measures. Reforestation and planting campaigns can enhance the land’s capacity to absorb water and restore natural landscapes. Reducing soil erosion and improving water retention are two further benefits of using sustainable agriculture practices.
Nigeria can create a future that is more resilient and equipped to handle the challenges posed by environmental disasters and climate change by implementing preemptive measures, community participation, and sustainable practices. The people of this country must be unified in their determination to protect lives and livelihoods from the constant threat posed by flooding.
