RSG, Preparing For The Unforeseen

In the last few years, the
world witnessed dramatic changes in weather and climate conditions, owing to global warming and other human impacts on the environment.  These changes endanger human lives, economic development and the sustainability of our environment.
Flood is one of the natural disasters and its occurrence may be difficult to predict, it sometimes occurs with little or no warning.
Rivers State, in view of its location in the Niger Delta region, remains one of the most susceptible to flooding in Nigeria.  Recent events, particularly the 2012 unprecedented flood disaster have proven it.  For instance the flood incident, which experts attributed to internal water, heavy rains and colossal volume of water from Ligdo Dam in Cameroon, displaced thousands of persons from the various communities in Abua/Odual, Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni and Akuku Toru Local Government Areas  and destroyed property running into billions of naira, as farmlands, fish ponds were not left out.
Statistics from the state Ministry of Special Duties puts the total number of displaced persons from the 2012 floods to 830,000 in 206 communities with Ahoada West being the most impacted, while during the period of camping a total number of  147 babies were delivered and 14 deaths sadly recorded.
This year, the Nigeria Metrological Agency (NIMET) predicted heavy rainfall that would be of more than that of 2012 and the catchment areas of Rivers Niger as well as parts of the Niger Delta might face imminent flooding.  This view, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Corroborated, and according to the South-South Coordinator of NEMA, Mr Emenike Umesi through his Desk Officer, Mr Denian Egwe disclosed that “the State will experience 288 days of rainfall” which have already started and called on farmers to harvest their crops on time, noting that going by the prediction the rains will be severe in the month of October and December.
The above reason, obviously guided the decision of the state Government to partner the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)on flood disaster management and also considered the untold hardship often suffered by flood victims.
The just-concluded “Special Training Programme on Flood Disaster Risk Management with Climate Change for Stakeholders in Flood Disaster” organized by the state government in conjunction with UNITAR, Special Duties Commissioner, Barr Dickson Umuakwe, explained that the programme which “is aimed at building resilience on issues bordering on flood”, has empowered the participants with the requisite skills and prepared them to be more effective in meeting today’s growing challenges in addressing flooding.
Barr Umunakwe further noted that the participants, drawn from the relevant agencies and the eight line ministries namely, information, power, housing, water resources, education, environment, urban and regional planning and the organizing ministry, special duties, will in turn train the flood committee members at the local government levels.
Commenting on the programme, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Special Duties, Dame Mina Benebo and other participants said it was an eye opener, describing it as timely, stressing that they had learnt a lot on how to effectively address the impending flood as well as other risks disaster in the state.  On his part, one of the resource person and the Deputy Executive Director, Asian Disaster Prepardness Centre, Mr Susith Arambepola said, “the Rivers State Government has demonstrated the political will to address the impact of the expected flood disaster, adding that with the training, the state has been equipped with the human resource know-how to plan and manage disaster risks”.
An 8-point communiqué was reached at the end of the 10-day workshop which emphasized the need for budgetary provision of funds for flood and other emergencies, institutional framework for the establishment of state Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMC).
It suggested the establishment of Internally Displaced Persons Camps (IDP) and other necessary facilities as a preparedness measure, the provision of warehouses for stockpiling of relief materials, especially non-perishable items.  It went further to recommend the dredging/embankment/creation of more drainage channels in the state to allow for free flow of water as well as the incorporation of disaster management/disaster risk reduction in school curriculum among others.
To further strengthen the UNITAR/Rivers State collaboration, which, according to the Head/resident representative of the organization in Nigeria Mr Larry Boms, dates back in 2006 when the UNITAR Nigeria office was open in Port Harcourt, the organization will further train four to five participants from the workshop in Geneva on flood management and other related risk disasters in the state.
This present administration led by Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi is aware of the importance of securing the lives and property of its citizenry, that is why, it has always made palpable efforts to avert flood in the state. One of such moves can also be demonstrated in the earlier conducted sensitization campaigns embarked by the Ministry of Special Duties to Akuku Toru, Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni and Andoni LGAs where leaflets and flyers entitled Dos and Don’ts in the event of flood were distributed to the inhabitants of the areas to educate them on steps to take before, during and after flood incident.
The inhabitants of the flood prone LGAs as a matter of priority are required to ensure the safe-keeping of their vital documents including birth, marriage, land certificates as well as identify higher grounds in their communities as muster point to assemble before the flood comes and avoid wading on through flood waters or drinking, eating fish, livestocks drowned in flood water.
To further reposition the state adequately in readiness to accommodate the flood situation, the Special Duties Commissioner said “the state government will between now and the first week of September  deploy a marine ambulance at the Orashi River for first hand medicare, especially for the physically- challenged, elderly, children and 6 flying boats in each of the flood prone LGAs of the state as well as Hilux vans for easier evacuation of the would-be victims”.
All these mitigating efforts by the Rivers State Government through the Ministry of Special Duties is directed towards ensuring that no one is caught unawares and to reduce to its barest minimum the hazards associated with the disaster should the flood finally step in this year.
Nevertheless, we are encouraged by the efforts of the state government so far in this direction, therefore support has to be rallied around this effort.
It, therefore, behoves on residents of the state, particularly inhabitants of the flood prone LGAs to make conscious effort to avoid clogging their drainage with waste, erecting structures along shorelines/water channels. These factors, experts say, are common causes of flood.
Let’s help this administration succeed in its quest to “prepare for the unforeseen”, knowing that the devastating effect of flood can be massive  it is time for change.

Igbiks Is  a Press Officer in PH

Martha Igbiks