The floods are finally here, no doubts about that. It has come with its full rage totally
submerging communities, farmlands, destroying lives and property along its
path, with thousands rendered homeless, now taking shelter as
Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs) and over 25 million predicted to be
affected. No thanks to the increase in annual rainfall this year that caused
excess water at Lagdo dam in Cameroun, Kainji, Shiroro, Jebba, Warama, Kiri
dams in Niger, Kwara Kano, and Adamawa states respectively to be released. This
resulted to over flow of the River Niger and River Benue in the form of flash
and massive flood into communities along its plains and tributaries. Affected
states includes: Niger, Kogi, Benue, Delta, Anambra, Sokoto, Kebbi, Bauchi, Katisna,
Imo, Ebonyi, Adamawa, Kano, Jigawa, Gombe, Rivers, Cross River, Ondo, Bayelsa,
Akwa Ibom, and Lagos. The magnitude of the devastation can only be expressed by
calculating the total land mass of affected area, number of persons killed and
displaced, impact on affected population, worth of property destroyed, impact
on local and national economy and post flood recovery costs.
In all these I doubt if we will learn any lessons, as
experience have repeatedly showed we never do. After the floods recede, we will
go back to our old ways; government will take no further action to avoid a
reoccurrence; for instance, government should have constructed ‘Dasin Hausa
dam’ to contain any water released from lagdo dam in Cameroun since 1982. The
voices called for urgent actions will take a break; with the hope that the
noise made will fix the failed system, which will never be if we don’t change.
It leaves me to wonder how erosion that ravages a lot of communities in
South-East Nigeria will ever get fixed when not much is said about it and we
are doing nothing to help, but rather adding to the problem. Unfortunately that
region is equally faced with its fair share of flooding.
In was in Awka, Enugu and Owerri the capital of Anambra,
Enugu and Imo States recently and witnessed the sorry situations myself. During
and after heavy rains, roads and streets get flooded. Waste disposal and
management is very poor among the people. The practice could be described as
NIMBY phenomena which means ‘not in my back yard’, a situation where people
indiscriminately dump waste any where that is not there back ward without any
concerns of its consequence. I put my observation simply as, ‘drainages are
used for refuse dumping and the roads serve as drainages. This practice
occasions artificial flooding, exacerbate the expansion of existing erosion and
create new rills as the flood water find new paths to flow. A check with the
ministries of environment in South-East states will confirm that existing
erosion site are worsening and new ones emerging speedily. The Orlu-Ideato road
erosion site in Imo Sate is an example out of many. Many times have government
‘worked’ on the sites but it continues worsening and new ones breaking out, the
walkways of the road are moving paths for flood water. It leaves one to wonder
if the situation defies solution; the answer is not far-fetched as the solutions
lies with the people and their attitude to their environment and conservation.
Many make their living from selling fine sand scoped from the
sediments sand left along flood paths, and drainage instead of replacing them
from where they were wasted off from. The worse is the existence of a ‘hate
system’ among communities in the region where communities, villages within
communities are usually glad to hear that erosion is ravaging a neighbouring community and may find possible ways to make it worse, and also work against
finding a solution to it. They are just happy that the land mass of the
community is reducing, and their people will some become dependent on them for
refuge, food and the like. The quest for dominance is the driving force. It’s a
pity that they are very ignorant that erosion has no definite path, it heads
south today, the nest day its east , west and only needs time to work that out;
it is usually the generations unborn that suffer the consequences.
It’s a greater loss to the region as land (the most valuable
resource) lost to erosion can never ever be recovered, but in flooding the land
is recovered after the flood water recede, soil nutrients loss can be
replenished, destroyed crops re-grown, and also when there are flood resistant
crops. The impact of flooding can be recovered from while that of erosion is
never. The region may feel not concerned with the current flood situations in
other parts of the country, but fail to note that their situation is attracting
attention and may get solutions if the right things are done, without the
knowledge that they in the South East have a worse situation that is not talked
about. I foresee a situation when long after the problem of flooding is
contained the region will start crying wolf that their situation is not given
attention. I doubt if the political class and elite from the region understand
the situation at hand. Governments in the region have equally chosen not to
utilize ecological funds effectively, no effective counter strategies and
existing legislations and policies on environmental conservation are not
implemented.
In all, I implore us all - North, South, East, West, young,
old, government at all levels, organizations to unite, rise to the challenge
and take action. We must understand that climate change is real and it is the
impact that we see today in the form of increased rainfalls,
floods....Government and concerned organizations and agencies should take
responsibility and sensitize the people on the issues of climate change,
environment and ways to take the right action. Behaviour change is very
important to solving our environmental challenges, civil engineering solutions
only complement. We mustn’t go back to sleep. Government should be more
responsible and committed to her obligations, the people should also realize
that some difficult decisions (such as relocating communities along the plains
of River Niger and Benue) to be taken by government is for their good and
cooperate.
We must save our environment and we will save our
environment!
...................................................................................................................................................................
Akachukwu Okafor works in the Nigeria non-profit sector, with
national and international experience. His interests ranges from strategic
policy formulation, development project management, advocacy, human rights and
civil liberties, to youth leadership development with working experiences on
projects with UNDPI, UNAIDS, UNESCO, World Bank, UNDP, UNICEF and a number of
national and international development agencies and organizations.He is a
member of the Institute of Strategic Management Nigeria.He strongly believes in
Martin Luther King Jr’s position that ‘Our lives begin to end the day we become
silent about things that matter’. He loves adventure, tennis and travelling.
Contact: @akachukwu & www.akachukwu.tumblr.com
Source: NYCC
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