NIGERIA PRONE TO NATURAL DISASTER
Mar 10th, 2010 | By Olufunke Fayemi | Category: Lead Story, News Across Nigeria
Natural disasters are unexpected sudden events which impacts with such severity that it is usually disastrous and uncontrollable.
There has been a dramatic rise in the magnitude and frequency of disasters, especially earthquake.
In the month of January, an earthquake hit Haiti, claiming lots of lives and properties. Few weeks later, the Chile earthquake occured, and recently the Turkey earthquake.
Nigeria is blessed to have a soil layer of the earth crust that is well placed, therefore making the possibility of the occurence of an earthquake very slim. However, Nigeria is exposed to other natural disasters like Oil spillage, Drought and the most common of all, Flood.
Flood is the most devastating natural hazard in the world. Unfortunately, it happens to be one natural disaster encountered in Nigeria especially during the rainy season, which is usually as a result of poor drainage infrastructures and blockage of available drainages through improper disposal of refuse.
The Lagos state government in an effort at making sure that refuse are disposed properly set up the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).
LAWMA is charged with the responsibility to ensure effective and efficient disposal of waste in Lagos Nigeria, both residential and industrial waste.
Inspite of this, refuse are still dumped carelessly on the streets, gutters, thereby blocking the drainages, and increasing the occurence of flood.
In Nigeria, serious flood disasters have occurred in Ibadan (1985, 1987, 1990), Osogbo (1992,
1996, 2002), Yobe (2000), Akure (1996, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006) and the coastal cities of Lagos,
Portharcourt, Calabar, Uyo and Warri among many incidences that have claimed many lives and
properties worth millions on naira . However, apart from the Yobe’s case, which was caused by breakdown of a dam,flood events in many capital cities in Nigeria, including Akure, Ibadan, Lagos and Osogbo are mostly due to the poor consciousness of the inhabitants on environmental information, inadequate (or sometimes absolute lack) of spatial information on the flood prone areas, waste dump and construction of buildings (both commercial and residential, even public offices) on river channel without adequate measure for water flow.
Using Victoria Island and Ikoyi as a case study, the situation is complicated by the fact that mean sea level is higher during the months of September and October. Furthermore, storm surges are experienced during the months of April to May and August to September, when surge heights may exceed 4 m above low water levels, also resulting in flooding.
A project, conducted by the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research Lagos, examined the efficiency of the major drainage channels.
Analysis of the drainage channel leveling data revealed that many channels are blocked by refuse and sediment, or are obstructed by buildings. Some channels also have reverse gradients, which could cause back-flow of storm waters. Many of these drainage channels also lack enough drainage head (gradient) to drain off storm waters. When heavy rains coincide with high tides, tidal waters flow back into the channels through the outlets causing excessive flooding.
The question now is does Nigeria have the facility to provide relief for victims of natural disaster? Ofcourse, it does. In 1999, the national Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was established to manage disasters in Nigeria in all its ramification. NEMA has the mandate to formulate policy on all activities relating to disaster management in Nigeria and co-ordinate the plans and programmes for efficient and effective response to disaster at national level, monitor the state of preparedness of all organisations or agencies which may contribute to disaster management in Nigeria, collate data from relevant agencies so as to enhance forecasting, planning and field operation of disaster management, amongst other things.
As citizens of Nigeria, we have a major role to play to avoid the tragic occurence of flood. Proper dumping of refuse and cleaning of the environment would go a long way in reducing the possibility of flood in the country.Remember, the rainy season is here again.
