The 2014 rainy season is here with its challenges that were earlier predicted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET). The increasing threat to the ozone layer and the rapid melting of the polar ice now make the rains heavier with every passing year. There are, consequently, violent storms and floods which wreak havoc on everything in their path. According to the NIMET forecast: “in 2014, the length of rainy season is predicted to vary between 100 days over the extreme North and 300 days over the coastal areas”. In all, according to the report, the country is expected to have about 265 days of rain on the average for 2014. Now, that piece of information is as heartwarming as it is frightening. Much as it should bring some cheer to those engaged in agriculture, especially cropping, the fact that there would be so much rain squeezed into a rainy season that is not expected to last more than six months raises the fear of flash floods and other disasters associated with the rains. The country has yet to fully recover from the damage caused by the near-nationwide floods of 2012. That disaster, according to figures released by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), left nearly 400 people dead and over two million displaced. Homes were either washed away or temporarily submerged by flood, while property worth billions of naira was lost. And, that is not counting farmlands that were washed away, for the worst part of the flooding occurred between September and October when farmers were just about to begin harvesting their crops from farms that were under cultivation. Among the worst hit states then were Adamawa (which took a direct hit from the release of water from Lake Nyos in Cameroun), Benue, Kogi, Delta, Edo, Anambra, Kaduna and Bauchi. Nearly every state was affected to some extent. Incidentally, Lagos, which ranks high among the states naturally prone to flooding, was spared a lot of the agony. But, this was mainly due to proactive steps taken by the state government. Having experienced severe flooding two years earlier (in 2010), as a result of the release of water from the Oyan Dam, run by the Ogun/Osun River Basin Development Authority, Lagos had stepped up a massive flood prevention programme that had seen it putting great emphasis on the environment, embarking on massive investment in road and drainage construction, channelization drive, guiding culverts, waste disposal initiatives, public enlightenment etc. The result is that even as it lies below sea level and, therefore, prone to ocean surge, Lagos, at least last year, managed to keep severe, life threatening flooding to the barest minimum. The lesson the rest of the country must learn from the Lagos experience, as the rains begin again, is the need to be prepared, by taking proactive measures to forestall flooding. Rainy season is an annual occurrence, so there is the need to always be ready for it. If we cannot control its intensity, at least, we can control the extent of damage it would cause. Rather than the usual fire brigade approach to issues, we can begin by ensuring that drainages are an integral part of our road construction. Government agencies should be firmer with the control and regulation of building plans – to check the incidence of people building on flood and drainage paths, or houses collapsing after two or three rainfalls. Government must also embark on public enlightenment campaigns not only to encourage people to clear their neighbourhood drainages to make for free flow of flood water, but to also educate them on the dangers of dumping their solid wastes into gutters and drainage channels. Government should also consider relocating residents in seriously flood-prone areas, in the event that the situation gets out of control this year. The Lagos State government has said it would need about N13 billion to prevent flooding. Other states have similar needs, but the sums involved are beyond what they can handle. That is why the federal government has to step in to assist flood-prone states with measures to prevent flooding. Helping to prevent floods will be much better than providing relief for flood victims. The impending rains also afford us another opportunity to revisit the Aliko Dangote-headed flood victims relief fund launched to address the challenges that arose from the 2012 flooding. What happened to the monies generated? How many of the pledges have been redeemed? How many of the victims ever got any form of relief? This also brings to the fore our response to disasters of this nature. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has remained particularly responsive in this regard, but is there no way we can strengthen and better fund the agency? Is it not possible to improve the quality and quantity of relief it gives victims?
Posted on: Sat, 19 Apr 2014 22:45:57 +0000
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