Much of the damage wreaked by floods could be avoided if the states are proactive
Following the heavy rains of the last few months, floods have continued to wash away farm produce, roads, homesteads and vast arable land on a daily basis across the country. Rivers, Anambra, Delta, Kogi, Kano and several other states, especially in the southern part of the country, have all been in the news lately in this regard.
The commendable action of the government of Delta State which asked those living in flood-prone zone to vacate until when it is safe to return, is ideally what is expected of every state government in such situations. Beyond that, we need a more lasting solution to the perennial problem of flooding in the country.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) provides yearly meteorological information, forecasts, advisory and early warnings to ensure informed decisions in all climate and weather-sensitive sectors of the economy. It releases its annual seasonal rainfall prediction (SRP) early enough every year on the volume and socio-economic implications of the rains that would fall in the particular year. The SRP for 2015 was also released early in the year to create good lead-time for policy makers, farmers and town planners to factor in the likely implications of the predicted rainfall pattern for the year.
However, it would appear that the goal of this pre-emptive intervention by NIMet is rarely achieved. The avoidable damage occasioned by seasonal rainfall, especially within the last four years, has been largely due to outright disregard of well-publicised warnings as well as inaction by state governments.
The predictions for this year specifically mentioned heavy rains that would last well beyond the usual periods of the rainy season. As predicted, the rains are still here – well towards the end of the month of October. There was no respite from the rains in the month of July, and the traditional “August break” was also taken up by the rains. The sad fact is that Nigeria always appears caught unawares by what is a routine fact of its existential reality as a nation in the tropics.
The seasonal havoc caused by heavy rains suggests a national disposition to lethargy in serious matters, as well as incompetence in handling the resulting emergencies. It would be unfair to say that those in authority do not care much about the welfare of the people, or that they deliberately allow the situation to get out of hand in order to create avenue for pecuniary advantages arising from avoidable emergencies. But that is the impression being created in the minds of the people today.
The present flood crisis would certainly not have been so devastating if governments, federal and state alike, had been proactive and heeded the warnings repeatedly publicised earlier in the year by the NIMET. Is it that the government still does not trust its own weather experts, despite years of successful forecasts by the agency? Perhaps not! The quick resort to the supply of relief materials, often poorly distributed, for victims of avoidable flood disasters only serves to further fuel the suspicion that there may be other interests driving the failure to take pre-emptive measures seriously in managing floods in Nigeria.
The federal and state governments should go beyond mere promises and relief handouts and take more lasting measures to avoid this annual scandal. The affected communities are likely to relapse into their old ways as soon as the floods recede. Those of them living near the waterfront, of flood-prone areas should be resettled and good communities relations deployed in managing the likely resistance of those who, for sentimental reasons, may not want to move from their ancestral habitats.
