Flooding in Nigeria not a natural phenomenon

Climate change resulting from global warming is attributed to anthropogenic influences, leading to many consequences, one of which is flooding. It is one of the major environmental crises that keep recurring every year in Nigeria from one region to another. Although flooding is a natural phenomenon caused by antecedents, such as melting of the icebergs, […]

Climate change resulting from global warming is attributed to anthropogenic influences, leading to many consequences, one of which is flooding. It is one of the major environmental crises that keep recurring every year in Nigeria from one region to another. Although flooding is a natural phenomenon caused by antecedents, such as melting of the icebergs, hurricanes, overfilling of the major rivers, but many other flood types are human caused.  Prolonged heavy rain has resulted to floods all over the world particularly in the rainy season, which often leads to flood disasters. 

Human causes of flooding in Nigeria include dam failures, population pressure unplanned urbanisation poor sewage management, neglecting warnings from hydrological system data and lack of flood control measures, especially by government.  

Flooding can be averted through efficient mapping, monitoring, and maintenance of all floodplains, sea coasts, natural lakes and reservoirs. Government should also consider the establishment of efficient monitoring stations at each sea coast. There is also the need for collaboration between hydrologists, remote sensing and GIS experts, environmental scientists, engineers, surveyors and other professional bodies, etc in monitoring the annual hydrological cycle and weather patterns as well as giving appropriate advice to the government. 

As all prognoses available suggest that Nigeria will continue to experience alterations in weather patterns with changes in temperature, rainfall, rise in sea level, data from NIMET should be obtained quarterly and measures should be implemented based on predicted future events. Both rural and urban dwellers of riverine and sea coast areas should be educated on the risk and consequences of floods or moved to safe areas.  

Abubakar Wada Azare, wrote from Katagum, Bauchi State