INVESTIGATION OF 2017 FLOODING EVENT IN NASSARAWA HAYI IN NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

Floods is among the environmental problems with the most devastating effect in the world, which has claimed so many lives and destroyed more property than any other natural phenomena. Nassarawa Hayi have had incidences of flash floods in the pasts, the one of Saturday, the 8th of July, 2017 experienced has not been witnessed in its recent history. This study assesses flood damage and loss in Nasarawa Hayi, Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State, Nigeria. The study identifies and map out factors responsible for flooding event in the study area;  Map  the  flood  risk  zones  in  the  area  and  assess  the  damage  to  assets  and infrastructure in the study area. Qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques was used, personal observation was made in the field, structured questionnaire was used, remote sensing data (QuickBird Imagery) was used. Field data collected were subjected to descriptive statistics while remote sensing data was subjected to digital image processing which involve digitizing, generating of contours map, Digital Elevation Model map and flood risk map. The findings reveal factors responsible for flooding in the area, it shows that 42% of the respondent agreed that flooding the area is caused by excessive Rainfall, 52.7% of the respondent agreed that Not well constructed drainage, building and farming along the flood plan area are the causes of flooding in the area. The digital Terrain Model of the area showed areas vulnerable to flood hazard. The risk zone was classified into three categories, namely high-risk zone, medium risk zone and low risk zone, using digital terrain model and distance. The areas on terrain elevations 55m -57m were categorized as high-risk zone with total coverage area of 55,920.10 m2. The medium risk zone was between 58m – 60m with total area coverage of 506,717.82 m2 while low risk zone was 61m – 65m with area of 131,960.16m2. The elements at the high-risk zone include residential buildings, a school building, and untarred roads among others. The elements at the moderate risk zone are uncultivated farmland, boats and humans while that of the low risk area are both cultivated and uncultivated farmlands, crops and economic trees. The study concludes that flooding cannot be completely avoided, as long as physical development extends to river channels traversing urban centers, but with effective flood prevention programmes, damages from severe flooding can be reduced if not eradicated. Thereby recommends that occupants and/or owners floodable areas aware of identified flood hazards and encourage individuals to take actions such as flood proofing and developing escape plans, to mitigate their flood potential.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0  INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

In Nigeria, news of about natural disasters of the environment has been making headline on air and front pages, causing havoc either on rural farmers or on urban residents at an alarming rate. So, the need for in-depth research into the impacts of floods on the environment and socioeconomic activities arises. Floods may be defined in a variety of ways according to type, origin and magnitude. According to Olajuyibe et al. (2012), a flood is as an overflowing of a great body of over land which is not usually submerged. This disaster has led to various degree of destruction that has disrupted socio-economic activities, transport and communication, collapse of infrastructure and erosional damages, loss of life and property, contamination of water resources and the environment in general (Nkwunonwo et al., 2016).

Christopherson (2006) sees flood as a high water level that overflows the natural riverbank along any portion of a stream, therefore the spreads of water over adjoining grounds on which crops or valuable properties are presence would be destroyed; a flood is any water in an area that is not normally submerged. According to Oriola (2000), whenever the stream channel in an average section is overtaxed, causing overflow on an adjacent land definitely outside the usual channel boundaries, the stream is said to have reached flood stage. Adelekan (2010) and Magami et al. (2014) stated that there are various types of flood such as: flash floods, single event floods, multiple event floods, seasonal floods, coastal floods and estuarine floods. Flash floods are common in the city centres. A single event flood is caused by rainfall with one peak flood period and last longer than flash flood. The multiple event floods occur after long period of rainfall that comes in succession. Seasonal floods are very common in most riverine areas or river flood plain (Nwigwe and Emberga, 2014) pinpointed that flood are caused by extraneous forces in the physical environment that are harmful to men.

The cause of flood was attributed to three atmospheric factors, namely rainfall excesses, snow and ice, and coastal factors.  Aderogba (2012) was of the opinion that man was the real cause of flood. In his quest for a vibrant economic, need for improvement in the standard of living and also through his inadequate understanding of  how the rocesses of nature operate, he has altered the normal channel through water  flows across the land by building dams, houses and industries in areas that are known to  be in danger of flooding. In the advance world, the loss of life through flood, although terrible is relatively low, unlike the underdeveloped countries that lack sophisticated monitoring and warning systems. As the search for solution to flood hazards continues, it is essential to explore how the flood processes are shaped and threatened by the physical development pattern of Nasarawa Hayi community. It is in view this that this study attempts to assess flood damage and loss in Nassarawa Hayi community and identify the factors responsible for flooding in the area.

1.2   Statement of the Research Problem

Floods is among the environmental problems with the most devastating effect in the world, which has claimed so many lives and destroyed more property than any other natural phenomena. In Nigeria, the displacement of people and damages to properties by flood is more than any other natural disaster. At least 20 per cent of the population in Nigeria is at risk from any form of flooding Etuonovbe (2011). In Nigeria, flood disaster has been perilous to people, communities and institutions. In the past years, flooding in Niger State was limited to communities along river valleys/corridors of Niger and Kaduna especially those living downstream of Jebba, Kainji and Shiroro hydro dam.

However, the recent flooding has extended to other communities in most parts of the state including Bida, Tafa, Suleja and Minna the state capital (Ahmed, 2018). Causes of flood in these towns may not be unconnected to flat or low-lying terrains especially where little or no provision has been made for surface drainage or where existing drainage has been blocked by municipal waste, refuses and eroded soil sediments (Aderoju et al., 2014). It also occurs as a result of prolonged rainfall, lack of adequate drainage system/blocking of water ways and unplanned and uncoordinated physical growth of some part of the towns and intensification of land use development.

Nassarawa Hayi have had incidences of flash floods in the pasts, the one of Saturday, the 8th of July, 2017 experienced has not been witnessed in its recent history. The flood occurred as a result of the torrential rain which lasted about 12 hours (11:00pm to 11:00am) and seriously disrupted the functioning of the town with widespread human, material and environmental losses which exceeded the ability of the local authorities to cope with (NSUDB, 2017). The areas affected by the flood covered Suleja and Tafa Local Government Areas of Niger State. They include; Suleja (Bakin Uku area around Hairatu Gwadabe estate, Kantoma bridge area and Checheniya) and Nassarawa Hayin in Tafa Local Government Area.

However, lack of sufficient data has hampered     the analysis of flood damage and loss, particularly those  related  to  the triggering  factors  and  development  process  (Suriya  and Mudgal, 2012). Evidently, much work has not been done in regards to factors responsible for flooding and damages cause by flooding in terms of the impact of illegal development on river side, flood plain and flood prone zones of the study area. It is upon this backdrop that this study attempts to investigate the factors that aggravate the 2017 flooding and its impact on relevant on human livelihood.

1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of the study is to assess flood damage and loss in Nasarawa Hayi, Tafa Local

Government Area of Niger State, Nigeria. The objectives are to:

i.        Identify and map out factors responsible for flooding event in the study area

ii.      Map the flood risk zones in the area .

iii.     Assess the damage to assets and infrastructure in the study area

1.4 Justification of the Study

The need to provide an enabling framework for proper identification of flood hazard and its risk factors in the study area is paramount and essential. The rapidly growing urban centres in Niger State are witnessing frequent flooding as a result of unplanned and haphazard expansion, thereby intensifying flood hazards with adverse repercussions on the urban poor and the vulnerable (Ojigi et al 2013). Essentially, studies abound on general damages flooding left behind in various communities in developed and developing nations of the world (Suriya and Mudgal, 2012). Generally, flood risk affects lives directly and indirectly in terms of properties and urban infrastructure.

Nasarawa Hayi is a low-land area and is under-going frequent and constant flooding every year. This research work will provide vital data or information essential for effective flood disaster management and prevention. Identified hazard is going to be essential reference point for flood disaster managers in order to make proper projection or simulation (Dukiya, 2013).

Essentially,  this  research  is  aimed  at  examining the factors  responsible for flooding the Nassarawa Hayi community. The study is meant to generating a flood risk and vulnerability database for the State, using tools such as Digital Elevation Model, Buffer and flood prone maps, spatial and temporal maps, land-use and land cover changes analysis, amongst others. The results of the research are expected to help decision makers to better understand the causes and vulnerability of flood risks and its hazards, predict outcomes and put in place a sustainable flood risk control and remedial measure.

The research work will provide a baseline for future planning and environmental modeling, simulation and for making early warning systems. Tafa local government area stands to benefit immensely because, all abnormalities identified will be addressed by flood disaster management planners and environmental managers, and outcome of the research will be useful to Niger State Government. It will also serve as a reference material for further investigations and developmental processes to generate interest on the sector particularly  how devastating flood hazard changes the lives of people in the study area and further more  to examine the effects and benefits of flood hazard to Nasarawa Hayi in Tafa Local Government Area.

1.5 Scope of the Study

The work is confined to Nasarawa Hayi in Tafa Local Government Area. This study focused on causes of flood, impact of flood on people, infrastructure and socio-economic livelihood, existing flood preparedness measures and vulnerability. The major tasks that was carried out include identification of flood disaster causes, assessment of flood impact on the houses and farm and assessment of flood damage and loss done in Nasarawa Hayi, Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State during the 2017 flood event.

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