By Famous Obebi Famous
It is on record that 70% of the earth’s surface is covered with water. Equally true is the fact that humans, animals and plants need specific amounts of water to survive.
A flood, however, is the unusual presence of water on land to a depth which affects normal activities. Flood is a natural occurrence. Yet, its impact can be controlled by man. Interestingly, a flood in itself is not disastrous. It becomes only one when people are not prepared for it and early warning prognosis are flagrantly ignored while mitigation measures are not put in place to attenuate its impact on the economy.
The first great flood occurred in the time of Noah. God gave a warning. It was jettisoned; and then came the deluge which exterminated mankind except Noah and his household.
Since then, several floods have occurred across the world, some very catastrophic and cataclysmic; others mild. The most destructive, of course, were the 1887 and 1931 China floods that claimed over 6 million lives in one fell swoop. There is also the 1979 Morvi Dam burst incident that killed over 4,500 people in India and the Huascaran landslide in Peru in 1962 which claimed over 4,000 lives. In 2004, the Spring flooding in Haiti snatched over 3,000 and in 2010 the Pakistani flood asphyxiated about 2,000. Of course, the January 2011 Rio de Janeiro floods which snuffed life out of 800 still rankles the mind.
Indeed, Nigeria has had her own fair share of floods. In 2001, for instance, Abia, Adamawa and Akwa-Ibom States witnessed heavy downpour and rainstorm which affected about 5,000 people. In the same year, about 12,300 persons were displaced by torrential rain which destroyed farmlands, damaged properties and submerged buildings in Zamfara state. In 1988 and 2001, Kano was home to windstorm and flood that affected 300,000. What with the 2011 Lagos and Ibadan floods that wreaked extensive havoc. Similarly in 1999 and 2001, Bayelsa and Delta states experienced heavy floods that rendered hundreds of people homeless. In 2005, it was the turn of Taraba state as massive flood displaced over 50,000 persons. And then, in August and early September 2007, heavy rainfall led to severe flooding in several West African countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, Kenya Togo, killing 353 and affecting over 600,000 persons. It becomes clear that the flood menace is not strange to Nigeria after all.
What is, perhaps, strange is the apathy and apparent insouciance with which flood related warnings have been treated over the years.
It would be recalled that last year, following the sudden bursts of the Cameroonian and Guinean dams coupled with the heavy rainfall experienced between May and September, over 20 states in the federation were affected by flood waters. Yet it did not come without a warning. As at November 5, 2012, over 363 people had died as a result of the flood with about 2 million displaced. The states most affected were Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau, Benue, Bayelsa, Kogi, Niger, Lagos, Rivers and several others.
The water level in these states rose several meters high swallowing whole buildings and entire communities. Even the home of the President in Otuoke, Bayelsa State was not spared as nature unveiled its rage and tempestuous fury on mankind.
In a swift reaction, several states set up flood rehabilitation committees which collaborated and networked with the private sector and international agencies to ameliorate the impact. Several monies were collected and applied for this purpose. Or so it seemed. But needless to say that, for most of the victims, life has never been the same again after the floods. The federal Government as well as notable philanthropic individuals also doled out whopping amounts to assuage the impact and ensure proper rehabilitation and reintegration process.
But just as Nigerians are recuperating from the shock and trauma of this disaster, experts have again raised alarm of an impending major deluge. The first and perhaps most worrisome is the clarion call by Pastor Enoch Adeboye, a highly respected clergy and General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, urging Nigerian to pray against the recrudescence of natural disasters this year. That was on January 1, this year. Yet, even more frightening was the empirical prediction by the Director General of the Nigerian Meterological Agency, Dr. Anthony Anuforom on February 15 and the Director General of Nigeria Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Muhammed Sani-Sidi, that several states in the country could be submerged in 2013 on a larger scale as a result of heavy rainfall if adequate precautions are not taken. NEMA also hinted that about 25 million Nigerians living in coastal states would be affected.
For a start, there are several causes and types of floods. Fundamentally, when the ground is already saturated and therefore loses the ability to absorb more water faster than rain or snow falls, flooding begins. Because of heavy rainfall, the water within a river may overflow its bank and surreptitiously spread around the surrounding land or there could be a flash flood which occurs very quickly by rapid rise of extremely dangerous water travelling at a speed of 2.7meteres per second. There is also coastal flooding in oceans and is driven by storm surges, hurricanes and tsunamis. More importantly, failure of dams or other structures constructed to retain water may engender flooding. This is often attributed to negligence by engineers during dam construction. Of course, global warming and climate change is yet another causative factor.
But not a few persons contend that increased urbanisation, inadequate urban planning laws, lack of drainage facilities and erecting buildings in flood plains contribute substantially to exacerbate the effect of flood when they occur. Even so, dam failure and global warming have been identified as significant factors.
Last year, sequel to the massive destruction caused by the flood, farmers all over the country suffered huge economic losses. Challenges of food storage, processing and marketing arose culminating in spiralling prices of other consumables, even in unaffected areas. In many parts of the country, commercial activities ground to a stultifying halt as businesses lost billions of naira and schools were hurriedly shut down.
Given the destructive socio-economic impact of the flood, it is critical that mitigating and attenuating measures be put in place to forestall resurgence. This is proactive rather than reactionary. It is dangerous, if not precarious to wait for it to happen in the hope of profiteering from the calamity by swindling funds meant to alleviate the excruciating pains suffered by victims. In 2011, the United States lost a stupendous $8.4billion to flood. Nigeria has lost several billions to the 2012 flood. We cannot afford to lose more and hope to make up for the loss by donations which end up in the pockets of a few chauvinistic, misguided and egocentric individuals.
As a first throw of the dice, therefore, the states and federal government must expedite action on the construction of major embankments on rivers such as River Benue to keep off flood water. The construction of the Kasambilla Dam should also be pursued with renewed vigour to ensure that excess water that should have been released into the river is absorbed.
Indeed, state governments in conjunction with civil society groups, NGOs and faith-based organisations must embark on aggressive environmental awareness campaign and build capacity to reduce people’s vulnerability. Certainly, communities living in flood plains should be made to relocate to higher grounds on time.
In some states, roads are built without proper and adequate drainage system and wastes are dumped in drainages. This is totally unacceptable and negates global best practice in civil engineering.
As a matter of necessity, flood control measures should be introduced by government. As far as practicable, the use of Self Closing Flood Barrier (SCFB) systems in protecting people and property from inland waterway flood should be encouraged in the country. In the United States, for instance, millions of documents at the National Archives are protected by SCFBs. This can be replicated here.
What is more, river defences should be erected to prevent rivers from bursting their banks while buffer dams should be built at strategic locations in the country. Coastal defences such as Tide-gates, Sea walls, dykes, culverts and barrier islands could be constructed to curb flood occurrence in coastal states of the Niger Delta.
Multinational Oil companies who indiscriminately flare gases that precipitate global warming and climate change in Nigeria must, as part of their corporate Social responsibility, partner with government to bring about lasting solution to this ignominious menace.
During flood disasters, governments must have evacuation and recovery plans and scrupulously and dexterously implement them. There is also need for pre-flood risk assessment, post-flood damage assessment, and massive adequate investment in mitigation measures while professional counselling services and advice and training, financial assistance to the elderly and other disadvantaged groups should be incorporated into the rehabilitation programmes.
In addition, homes, public buildings and schools and other critical social infrastructure should be built above flood level in communities in flood-prone areas. Flood hazard maps and community plans of action could also be developed to ensure better understanding of what to do.
Of course, states and the federal government must enhance the capacity of their strategic grain reserves which could come in handy during times of acute food shortages arising from flooding.
Finally, the state Emergency Management Agencies must be made functional and fully equipped with the right logistics to take on the onerous task of combating disasters. It is agonising that in several states, the agency lacks functional and even the institutional framework to manage disasters. This has often led to escalation of the damage.
To be sure, the warnings have come at a very auspicious moment.
This is, therefore, not the time for rhetorics and political grandstanding in expending huge scarce funds in hosting revelries and jamborees couched in the harmless euphemism of summits, seminars and conventions on flood. They are good. No doubt. But they are not sufficient in themselves. Only the political will to implement the key decisions reached at such fora that would impact the lives of the people would move Nigeria forward. A stitch in time saves nine.
**Mr Famous Obebi Famous is Special Assistant to the Chief Economic Adviser of Bayelsa State.
Nigeria’s 923, 768sq km land area is made up of 13,000sq km of water.
In the United States of America, the Great Dayton floods of 1913 killed 360 while the 1972 Black Hills Flood took 368 lives. This is not to mention the 2005 Greater New Orleans flood, the Austin Dam flood of 1911 and the Columbus Ohio flood of 1913 which together claimed over 300 lives. In the United Kingdom, the story is not different. In 1953, the North Sea flood disaster killed over 2,000 and in 1864, the Great Sheffield flood dam disaster took 270 lives
but none could be compared in its devastating effect to the Noahic flood. None would ever be. For instance, between the year 1014 and 2012, about 180 deadly floods have occurred across the world, killing several million people and rendering hundreds of millions homeless
However whenever a substance, whether nutrients or water is present in more quantity than could be handled by the body, it often leads to health complications and disrupts normal body functions. While the intake of water could be controlled, it is difficult to regulate the amount of rainfall or snow in a community.
Undoubtedly,
Email: bomane2010@yahoo.com; 08072262488