Overview of Strategies for Flood Control and Risk Management in Nigeria

Abstract

This study presents the strategies for flood control and risk management plan in view to overcome the current menace faced by the people of Nigeria. However, to overcome these, the following flood master plans were set amongst other things to formulate a broad policy framework and milestones for managing floods and stipulate specific strategies for achieving these milestones during the next decade up to 2050. The vision of the plans is to educate about the effect of flood on human beings, crops infrastructure, vegetation, industries activities, application of good remedial measures, and educating the people of the region on the effect of flood. The plan ensures that all stakeholders such as residents, businesses, local governments, and industries will be educated to understand the cause of actions over the next 10 years and how they fit into the system. To achieve the above vision, the plan will address the following: Reduction of flood effect in Nigeria: Reducing flood effect in Nigeria is a matter of urgency in terms of the nature in which structures are built and located within the region,the nature of the drainage sighted and high deforestation; Low education on the impact of the flood: there is a need to educate people within Nigeria to better help in controlling floods by clearing their drainage and not building on the waterway; Fewer management options for the flood: Most of the communities have a number of innovative ways to control floods by the application of sandbags, cutting down of trees and demolition, however, as there are no dams, a new management option needs to be found for the flood; and Impact of Floods: The impact of floods within Nigeria is increasing per year. Further improvements in reducing the impact will require a concerted effort from everybody in Nigeria.