BY AWELE OGBOGU
In recent times, many were forced to pray for rain. This was after experiencing days of scorching heat, while farmers feared it was the end of their source of livelihood. However, within the week, as if mother nature suddenly decided to show some mercy, the heavens let loose and it not only rained but poured in different places, bringing relief at last.
But experts have warned that from past experiences, even nature had appeared to lose control over inclement weather, as excessive rainfall became the order of the day, causing flooding, which leads to disruptions/loss of lives and properties, crop damage and other dire consequences.
Respondents have therefore advised that beyond the relief that greeted a seemingly late return of rain, there is need for residents to change their poor attitude to the environment, while on the part of the authorities, regulators and critical stakeholders, there should be proper emergency readiness, so that the rains that many had prayed for will not turn out to be a source of tears and regret.
An environmental analyst, V.O. Oladokun reflecting on flooding and sundry environmental challenges associated with the wet season, said there are numerous risk factors that needs to be adequately managed on a sustainable basis. He blamed a growing population, rapid urbanization and extreme weather events owing to climate change.
Oladokun said the outset of another rainy season is an opportunity to combat existing weaknesses. These include lack of inter-agency co-ordination, substandard and weak infrastructure, inadequate drainage network, high urban poverty, low level literacy, cultural barriers and weak emergency management institutions in the country. Oladokun therefore recommended “the adoption of an integrated approach to urban infrastructural development starting with a review of ongoing and planned infrastructural systems and projects with a view to optimizing their capabilities.”
Oladokun said that for instance, “the monthly environmental sanitation in some states have not achieved the desired purposes due to non-inclusion of environmental concepts and practices into the nation’s educational curricula and lack of a multi-disciplinary platform for generating effective strategic policies and efficient operational mechanisms.” He posited that this is the reason why “residents see the monthly environmental sanitation or anytime they are called upon to help in cleaning their environment as a form of a punitive measure by the government. “They simply see it as government’s sole responsibility or that the environment will clean itself while they go about their normal businesses. We wish this is so but lessons of past years have shown it is far from it”, Oladokun posited. With the docility of Nigerians, it was estimated that Nigeria suffered combined losses of more than $16.9 billion in damaged properties, oil production, agricultural and other losses due to flood events in one year alone with increased flood events every other year due to lack of coping capacity and high levels of vulnerability of the people.
A past victim of flooding in Asaba, Delta State capital, Mr. Henry Dibashi, blamed institutional behavior, saying “most government agencies that deal with flooding and flood victims think it is time to ‘hammer’ whenever such happens. For many of these individuals, it is not the time to heal but a time to reap.” He said that to be forearmed against the menace, the country must deploy state-of-the-art flood models to integrate all hydrological processes for accurate prediction and mapping of flooding and its associated risks in Nigeria.”
Dibiashi who said his personal experience with flooding has almost made him an expert in the area, informed that “Until recent years, major flood disasters rarely occur in Nigeria.” He recalled the Ogunpa River flooding of Ibadan causing loss of lives and properties, with re-occurrences in 2011. “Ogunpa taught us that human attitudes are often the cause of the problem. This is the time to provoke some responses such as educative radio and television jingles on use of water bodies and relocation of structures and properties from flood plains.”
He also advised on water channelization projects and desiltation/clearing of rivers in coastal areas which are worse hit by the problem. “In places that are worse hit, habits of allowing structures on flood plains obstructing flood channels are the order of the day. The rainfall was not the highest but the monetary value of damages to property that resulted from these events, were by far the most costly due to human attitudes.” For instance, in 2011, rainfall of 187.5 mm was put at N2.1 billion ($13.3 million) damages. Dibashi said piecemeal responses such as they got at the IDP camp some years ago is not a solution. “Because the meantime between floods can be irregular and deceptively long, stakeholders tend to forget the lessons of the ‘last’ flood disaster and become relaxed until another flood strikes.
Another respondent, Mr. Isaac Onobraekpeya said “Nigeria has poor warning systems”, adding that the solution lies in building resilience capability to cope with increasing climate variability. “The landscape of flood prone communities are on the increase due to inadequate drainage systems and increased replacement of natural and absorptive soil cover with impervious materials such as concrete. Deforestation is also to blame as it leads to increase in the quantity and rate of runoff.
The Pointer gathered that Nigeria has over 853 km (530 mi) of coastline with extensive low-lying areas as well as heavily industrialized areas prone to flooding and other environmental disasters, including Warri and others being increasingly exposed to ocean flooding. Communities and settlements along the two major Rivers, (Niger and Benue), cutting across the nation and urban and rural communities along the River Niger and its tributaries have been shown to be most affected by flooding.
A water engineer in Asaba, Mr. Luke Mordi, when asked for his opinion, said “roads and drainages are often designed without proper integration with other developmental systems such as power infrastructures, water supply systems, transportation networks, recreational facilities and so on. An example is a situation where road construction projects can be executed by a department of public works without adequate consultation with other relevant departments such as that of water resources, environment or agriculture. There have been several cases where road contractors damaged major drainage outlets to rivers/dams. This in turn compromises the flood safety features of such facilities and ultimately leads to flooding.
“There have been cases where road contractors excavate borrow pits during dry seasons without adequate consideration for flooding. It soon damaged the capacity of the adjoining landscape to withstand erosion by removing the natural defense of the ecosystem.
An integrated and holistic approach to development whereby flood management is a high priority sub-system is the only sustainable approach. “As an expert in the field, I wish to recommend inter-agency coordination and integration. For instance, in solving transportation issues, water channels built for flood control can be designed to also provide waterways to ease transportation in places like Warri.” He added that “Ironically, residents of many Nigerian communities ravaged by flooding also lack access to potable water. An integrated solution may be a rain water harvesting system designed to meet water supply needs and also serving as a flood control scheme. Rainwater harvesting has been noted to offer some mitigation against extreme runoff.
“The propensity to award contracts to build more structural flood defenses, canals, embankments, culverts and bridges without sufficient consideration for less costly and more sustainable, non-structural solutions is evident in many budgets. Unfortunately, these structures are usually handled by foreign contractors and experts with limited understanding of the local situation resulting in the limited knowledge transfer to indigenous experts. Such structures, which are usually copies of the solutions adopted in some distant countries and different socio-ecological settings without sufficient adaption to the local scenario, create other socio-technical problems. Such projects lack the right mix of soft elements like advocacy, education, stakeholders’ participation and consultation that can engender a sense of project co-production and ownership.
He regretted that for these reasons, “several flood canals and drainages have turned into refuse dumps few years after commissioning. Experience has shown that these capital intensive concrete structures and civil works rarely offer adequate and sustainable defenses against the threats of flood.”
He warned that “substandard bridges or road segments are likely to collapse during a rainy season, which is a common occurrence in Nigeria, the debris and concrete materials would then block or reduce the carrying capacity of the channel. This will eventually cause ‘induced’ flooding. Also when a road segment fails due to poor and sub-standard civil works, commuters will ultimately divert traffic to some alternative routes, thereby over-stretching these other routes. For instance, heavy truck drivers are compelled to move over low capacity bridges and roads which will in turn cause more bridges to collapse and the chain continues. Invariably, substandard elements will remotely increase the risk of flooding
It was gathered that sandcrete blocks, used in over 90% of Nigerian urban houses, are below required standards. Consequently, these houses are highly exposed and vulnerable to flood damage. The activities of unqualified builders and poor culture of regulations’ enforcement in the building sector have been blamed for the preponderance of weak structures. Meanwhile, poorly built infrastructural systems, such as high voltage power lines, bridges, unprotected construction sites and uncompleted buildings, readily collapse during flooding, thereby aggravating the number of fatalities and injuries.
“Nigeria is located in an environment not prone to serious natural hazards such as earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions. Relative to other parts of the globe, destructive environmental events in Nigeria are rare and mild. We just have to deal with floods, this we have not done although we have the capacity to do so.”
The dry season often eases around March till the end of April. Then, the rainy season takes off from April or thereabout, intensifying from June to August and runs till October, every year. “The last couple of days have shown that the rainy season is upon us. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (MIMET) has often urged pilots and passengers to be wary of thunderstorms and other dangerous weather conditions, following the onset of rains. They stressed that thunderstorms can also cause delays, diversions and cancellations of flights. NiMet also stressed that the agency predicted that rainfall would be earlier than the long-term average in most parts of the country.
An environmental expert, Mrs. Chiakala Ubani and a safety professional, Mr. Tami Oringo, noted that there was nothing that could be done to stop the rains but Nigerians can better prepare themselves to face the season with some level of certainty. They both suggested some ways to better prepare for the season. “Check roofs for leakages and bring in a handyman to go to the roof to confirm whether it is safe for the rainy season. “It may get frustrating when you run away from the rain outside and meet it inside. We have had situations where families would have to set buckets inside their homes because they had no idea the roof was in a bad shape. That can be embarrassing too for office owners. “Carpenters can do the job. They can spot the holes in the roof and block them off”, she noted. Oringo, also commenting on this point, added that checks should be periodic. “You don’t have to wait for the rains to resume in full swing before you can call a carpenter to check the roof. This is the best time to prepare for the onset of the rainy season”, he stated.
On clearing drainages, for Oringo, blocked drainages is a significant risk factor for flooding. “Most people have made their drainages a waste area. They dispose debris, plastics and the likes inside drainages. These have counter effects. They have a way of falling back to the environmental abuser”, he said. Before the wet season, when the drainages may still be dry, Oringo stresses that every home must clear out rubbish that may hinder water from passing when the rain takes its full course.
“Ensure water flow points like roof drain pipes and gutters are clear and able to drain water. Clear the gutters and make them as clean as possible. No kind person stuffs their gutters with rubbish anyway. “If the gutters have no slab, please, put a slab over it so people do not fall into it and get washed off by the flood”, he said. “The road gets slippery when it rains so drivers are advised to drive at minimal speed no matter how urgent is their destination”, Ubani said. She added that oil and grease, because of the rains, are brought to the surface, making it also impossible for the roads not to be slippery. “Combine that with rushing water in the case of flash flooding and it becomes a recipe for disaster”, she added.
“The rainy season comes with health concerns too like cold, catarrh, waterborne diseases, diarrhea and malaria from mosquitoes. Rain forms puddles or stagnant water where mosquitoes breed, hence preventive measures such as the installation of mosquito nets, mosquito coils or sprays and mosquito repellent creams will help prevent the eventuality of malaria as a resultant effect of mosquito bites.” Culture Custodian, an online journal, added that every family should have tablets of Vitamin C during the season as it helps with cold and flu. “We recommend getting Vitamin C to boost your immune system. You should also add fruits and vegetables that contain Vitamin C to your diet”, the journal advised.
In all this, a Delta community, Isheagu in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State, had set the pace on how to prepare for the wet season. Under the auspices of the Isheagu Progressive Forum, they embarked on the clearing and mechanical disiltation of the Iyete/Mgbalamgba rivers, worth over N20 million, due to perennial flooding of the community.
Speaking during the flag-off of the exercise recently, the Ozoma of Isheagu, Chief Austin Modebe said the contract had been awarded to Omorefe International Company, Warri, while he called for government’s assistance towards its successful execution. It was gathered that the community has raised only about N5 million out of the total contract sum of over N20 million. Modebe explained that the desiltation of both rivers meant the removal of massive weeds and other obstructions which had diverted the flow of water from its natural course to the community, leading to non-stop flooding over the years. Presently, the contractor is working on the Iyete river, which Modebe said will last for about three weeks.
He added that the process will open the rivers to the River Niger and restore the glory of Isheagu as a major trade centre as it would allow vessels and big boats to return for commercial activities, saying that the community is blessed with abundant aquatic life and agricultural resources. Speaking, the pioneer president of Isheagu Progressive Forum, Mr. Chide Medeh described it as the actualization of a dream. “Our community has been drastically affected by floods in the past, which necessitated the forum, which is non-political to initiate this self-funded community project.”
“This flooding has been a recurring issue which made the forum to seek support from our sons and daughters far and near to enable us execute the project. There are many other enormous developmental projects that will affect our lives in positive ways.” He therefore appealed to “all kind-hearted persons to please donate to the forum to enable it carry out other projects in the community. On behalf of the forum, I want to appreciate Dr. Godwin Edozie and other members of the committee on environment that made this project to see the light of the day”, he said.
So it seems that safety depends on making adequate preparations for the rainy days. Indeed, the consensus of stakeholders was that this is the only way to make the impending rainy season a blessing and not a curse.
