Nigeria is among countries that majorly practice rain-fed agriculture, therefore, ordinarily the rainy season should come like a big blessing to farmers and others alike.
Contrastingly, as climate change continues its devastating effects over the years the season comes with recurring cases of flooding as well as windstorms that lead to deaths and damage to properties in different parts of the country.
Recently, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Mustapha Habib Ahmed said over 500 000 Nigerians have been affected by heavy flooding in 29 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, this year alone.
As a way out of the situation, relevant authorities have been working assiduously to mitigate against annual flooding across Nigeria.
For instance, as the rains arrived in March 2022, Minister of Water Resources, Engr Suleiman Adamu, unveiled the 2022 Annual Flood Outlook, which indicated that high flooding will hit 233 Local Government Areas in 32 States and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
The AFO aided the abatement of flood risks in the country through early warnings and forecasting and applauded the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency for improving its predictive capacity through the introduction of a new approach to the 2022 AFO which is designed into three respective scenarios of flood outlook for the months of April to June, AMJ flood outlook for September to July, JAS, and flood outlook for the months of October to November, ON, respectively.
The general outlook of 2022 Annual Flood Outlook, AFO, shows that 233 local government Areas in 32 States of the Federation and FCT fall within the Highly Probable flood risk Areas, while 212 Local Government Areas in 35 States of the Federation including FCT fall within the moderately probable flood risk Areas.
The remaining 392 Local Government Areas fall within the probable flood risk Areas.
The highly Probable Flood risk states include: Adamawa, Abia,Akwa Ibom,Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River,Delta and Ebonyi. Others are, Ekiti, Edo, Gombe,Imo,Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and FCT.
Besides, eight States will battle with tidal surge and rise in sea level I 2022 based on the AFO.
Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Lagos, Ogun and Ondo will experience coastal flooding due to tidal surge and rise in sea level.
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Also, flash and urban flooding will be experienced in parts of major cities including Lagos, Kaduna, Suleja, Gombe, Yola, Markurdi, Abuja, Lafia, Asaba, Port Harcourt, Yenagoa, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Benin City, and Birni kebbi. Others include Sokoto, Lokoja, Maiduguri,Kano, Oshogbo,Ado Ekiti,Abakaliki, Awka, Nsukka, Calabar and Owerri.
However, measures put in place by the Ministry of Water Resources such as dams, canals, storm drains and other facilities to divert flood waters from highly probable flood risk zones in the country through strong collaboration between neighbouring countries with regards to water releases from dams within their catchments and better preparedness to avert any flood incidents.
However, as flood continues its devastating effects nationwide AljazirahNigeria maintains that citizens should take all necessary precautionary measures in line with official warnings to avoid the flooding and avoid building on flood routes and blocking drainages which affect the free flow of water whenever it rains. Also agencies should up their duties by making sure that houses are built in line with the approved building plans and create roads that are motorable and well-paved to avoid recurrence.
Source: https://aljazirahnews.com/?p=177954
