Murtala Adogi Mohammed: Climate change, Flooding and Disaster Preparedness and Response: The need for Para ...
A changing climate leads to changes in the frequency, intensity, spatial extent, duration, and timing of extreme weather and climate events, and can result in unprecedented extreme weather and climate events. The character and severity of impacts from climate extremes depend not only on the extremes themselves but also on exposure and vulnerability. Heavier rainfall, rising sea levels will increase the vulnerability of coastal areas, and the increase in "extreme weather events" will wipe billions off national economies and destroy lives, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the body of the world's leading climate scientists of the United Nations report released in 2011. The "special report on extreme weather" compiled over two years by 220 scientists is the first comprehensive examination of scientific knowledge on the subject, in an attempt to produce a definitive judgment. The report contained stark warnings for developing countries in particular, which are likely to be worst afflicted in part because of their geography, but also because they are less well prepared for extreme weather in their infrastructure and have less economic resilience than developed nations. But the developed world will not be unscathed heavier bursts of rainfall, heat waves and droughts are all likely to take their toll. Chris Field, co-chair of the IPCC working group that produced the report, said the message was clear extreme weather events were more likely. "Some important extremes have changed and will change more in the future. There is clear and solid evidence . We also know much more about the causes of disaster losses." He urged governments to take note many of the economic and human impacts of disasters can be avoided if prompt action is taken: "We are losing way too many lives and economic assets in disasters." Floods have been described as the most common and widespread of all natural disasters throughout Nigeria in recent time. for instance, in Kogi State north central Nigeria, a resident of Ibaji, Mr Linus Oche, who spoke to MediaTrust reporter in a telephone interview couple of weeks ago lamented that rice and yam farms in many villages that make up Ibaji Local Government area of Kogi State have all been washed away in the current of the flow of water into River Niger that snakes through the area. Also, thousands of houses have been swallowed and destroyed in the dangerous waters. Mr Oche feared that this disaster could lead to unprecedented famine in the area, if the water level continues to rise at the alarming rate. Already, everywhere in Ibaji and adjoining communities had been flooded, that is as of September, 22. In 2011, For instance, Ibadan flood claimed over 120 lives and left thousands displaced in September 2011; while Lagos flood claimed about 25 lives, with more than 1000 people displaced in July, 2011. Also, the Sokoto flood displaced 130,000 people in September 2010; six died with 276 displaced in Kano flood in June 2011. In 2012, the annual rainfall season causes flash and massive floods in Nigeria. Releases of water from the Kiri Dam in Adamawa State and from Lagdo Dam in the Republic of Cameroun have contributed to further swell the Benue River. According Red Cross official report published in reliefweb.int - Flooding across Nigeria has killed at least 137 people and displaced more than 35,000 since July to date- mind you this is official figure! From the observations of events so far, one can concludes that Nigeria government are more of reactive than proactive- sine June 2012, NEMA released a report that caution about 19 states that might likely be affected by the effect of extreme weather events specifically flooding. One can hardly see the level of flood related disaster preparedness and response put in place by the central, state and the local government. According to International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR) report of 1999, opined that, successful flood fighting depends upon good organisation, through advance planning, well-trained personnel and effective coordination of operations at local, state and national levels. I think there is a need for Nigeria to review and strengthen its Land Use and Control Act, as this would restrict building on flood-prone environment. To achieve this objective, legislative controls which empower the relevant government authorities to direct land use planning policies and practices related to watershed management need to be fully implemented in the country. Such control should strive to achieve effective and comprehensive legal administrative system in land, vegetation, water and human activities. There is need to also build the capacity of NEMA and cross cutting MDAs in the modern ways geography information system GIS and designing, implementing, and evaluating strategies, policies, and measures to improve the understanding of disaster risk, foster disaster risk reduction and transfer, and promote continuous improvement in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery practices, with the explicit purpose of increasing human security, well-being, quality of life, resilience, and sustainable development. I will like to end with a food for thought will the 21member presidential committee on flooding set up last week by Mr President going to come up with strategic recommendations that would reduce those chances of such incidents in future? Are there political drives to implement the recommendations? By Murtala Adogi Mohammed mamurtala@gmail.com