Rainy season: Building resistant framework against flooding
Natural disasters are an unfortunate part of human habitat, particularly as responses to certain changes in the ecosystem take effect. While disasters may not be stopped at some instance, it is troublesome when they are induced by people living within a particular environment. In fact, some happenings categorised as natural disasters were largely human-made alterations that sprouted disorders by reactions.
In Nigeria, one common form of disaster prone to the Country is flooding. The problem has been a disorder which has left unsavoury narratives of mishaps. Within the profile of account, has been the losses of not just properties but lives. The recurring profile of the mishaps of flooding have made considerations of the economic losses one disturbing subject. The sociological, psychological, and political impacts are well much in view of top concern in discourse.
The scale of concern on the phenomenon is known to be much seasonal, and since the Country is delving into another raining season where the records of flooding are usually on recurring basis, it has become essential for the discourse of proactive measures to mitigate the impacts, and avoid in outright terms – where possible – the occurrence of flooding across the Country.
Since, the problem is known to be seasonal, the disposition of leaving off the challenge out of focus outside the rainy season, has been a lacuna that annually keeps the record of avoidable losses. Hence, the rest in the relief in the dry seasons has been a disposition which has made the lack of preparation for the rainy season clouded with misfortunes. Last August 2021, flood in Bauchi was recorded to have claimed properties worth N1.5bn. Statistics from the Bauchi State Emergency Management Agency (BASEMA) revealed no less than 25,000 people were displaced, as losses of lives were not left out. Same August, seven people were recorded dead, while 74,713 were displaced in Adamawa.
The ill-disposition of not preparing for the rain, taking respite in the dry season, makes the occasion of annual flooding mishap a recurring phenomenon. Forgetting too soon the losses recorded from flooding during the rainy season, has put building a lasting solution to the problem out of the box of reality in the Country.
Flooding in the Country is known to be widely enormous. The narratives of its occurrence appear not to be limited only to the cities, but also rurals areas. Account of events of certain locations in some cities in the Country which are not habitable and accessible during rainy season abound. For property owners and/or inhabitants of these areas, the sound of rain is fear to their spine, as the aftermath of a heavy downpour is tantamount to displacement from their homes and businesses. Within the localities, cases of flood submerging a whole settlement and farmlands have not been wanting in the profile of flooding in the Country.
The problems are not largely unavoidable. Rather, the disposition to same has been the ground for flooding to keep taking the force of gravity in the Country. Situations of poor drainage system in the cities and the sabotage of blocking existing drainage channels through unlawful offsetting of refuse and littering disorder in cities, have been a poor culture which have constituted the ground for flooding across certain cities in the Country. In some others, the non-existence of drainage system has been a reflection of the poor state of infrastructure in the Country.
As the rains draw stronger, it behooves the government to wake to the central responsibility of protecting lives and properties. Since flooding has been on records, a serial claimer of lives and properties, it is justifiable for it to be seen as an enemy of the State and as such, should be treated with the stern composition of all firmness. The need to prepare the strong preventive architecture to mitigate tough mishaps in areas which have been known to be prone to flooding has become a necessity.
Though the rain is seen to be fast approaching, it is still within tolerable limit for efforts to be concerted towards developing strong infrastructures to prevent the recurring phenomenon of flooding. This is essential to mitigate against saddening reports of losses of lives and properties. The very costly economic losses and sociocultural disorder which annually fall into record from mishaps of flooding, is a deformity that demands firm approach to addressing same. Also, important is the necessity for the Government to move towards responsiveness in coordinating policy instruments to guide against actions whose impacts pose threats to erupting flooding. Hence, developing robust framework for a system of urban and physical poliices to strengthen urbanisation evolution across the Country has become important. Beyond the efforts of the government, it has become important for all citizens to become responsive in their dealings with nature. Counterproductive activities and illegitimate conduct, such as blocking drainage channels with refuse, poor adherence to urban and physical planning provisions, are human-errors harmful to the environment, and thus a breeding ground for flooding. Citizens also have obligations to keep their habitat safe from disasters as flooding, which has continued to record lamentable losses over time. The direct and indirect impacts of flooding have been broad. It is pertinent for all to play their respective part in keeping their environment sound for safe cohabitation.
