DEVASTATING FLOODS CAUSE A CATASTROPHE IN NIGERIA OCTOBER 12, 2012 Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, University of North Carolina, USA
Jan 02, 2016
DEVASTATING FLOODS CAUSE A CATASTROPHE IN
NIGERIA
OCTOBER 12, 2012
Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, University of
North Carolina, USA
MAP OF NIGERIA
After torrential rains and the
opening of Cameroon’s dams, a major river surge in the Niger River, Africa’s third longest,
inundated the Niger River valley.
A PARADOX: More than 5.5 million Nigerians affected by drought are now being
impacted by the worst flooding in eight decades.
It is typical for Nigeria to have heavy tropical rains
from May to September and to have seasonal flash
floods, BUT almost never on the scale of 2012
EXACERBATING FACTOR:
Experts said flooding conditions were exacerbated by the opening
of dams in the Republic of Cameroon a few weeks earlier,
which caused the Niger River to burst its banks.
50 PERCENT OF LAND MASS INUNDATED IN MANY PLACES
WIDESPREAD INUNDATION
WIDESPREAD INUNDATION
WIDESPREAD INUNDATION
WIDESPREAD INUNDATION
ALL REGIONS IMPACTED (Kogi, Anambra, Delta, Bayelsa and Imo
hit hard)
FOOD SUPPLIES DESTROYEDCATTLE WASHED AWAY
300,000 CHILDREN FACING MALNUTRITION
91 DEAD
FAMILIES STRUGGLING JUST TO SURVIVE HAVE LOST EVERYTHING
INITIAL REPORTS
• Farmlands, paddy fields, cash crops, food resources, water resources, houses, schools, healthcare, centers, roads, and dams were damaged or destroyed.
SCHOOL GROUNDS INUNDATED
HOUSES INUNDATED
ROADS INUNDATED
Nigeria’s well known Lokoja-Abuja Road was submerged in the flood,
making the road impassable and stranding commuters.
Economic Losses
The direct and indirect losses arising from the flooding is so enormous that it is virtually impossible to calculate it in
naira and kobo
PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN FACING A NATIONAL DISASTER
IMMEDIATE ACTION: President Jonathan set up a
34-member national committee on flood relief
and rehabilitation
Oxfam, an aid agency, reported that over 500,000 people were
displaced as a result of the rising cholera rate
Schools and camps scattered across the state were quickly
established to handle displaced persons.
FUTURE FLOOD CONTROL MEASURES
• Goodluck Jonathan’s administration plans to build embankments around the Niger and Benue confluence in Lokoja as part of regional measures to prevent future recurrences of flooding.
• The Kassambilla dam, now under construction, is expected to lessen the impacts of future flooding.
SOME GOOD NEWS: No reported impacts on Nigeria’s crude oil
production