Flood Conrol: Ecologist Advocates Govt, Citizens’ Collaboration

An ecologist, Mr Abdullahi Aremu, last Thursday called for a quick and coordinated response between the government and citizens to control flood, the hazards recently plaguing some parts of the country.
Aremu, who is also the Director General, Advocacy for Environmental and Sanitation Integrity, an NGO, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
He said that floods are natural phenomenon which was difficult to prevent, adding that floods could only be managed in order to reduce their physical, social and economic impacts on the people.  “In recent times, flood disaster management, like any other disaster, has shiffed from relief, rescue,rehabilitation and recovery to a new paradigm that focuses on prevention, mitigation, preparedness and emergency response,” he said.
The director-general underscored the need for the government at all levels to invest more in preventive and mitigating actions in flood management.
“This includes investing in infrastructure for flood control and flood defence.  It also involves building embankments along river banks and relocating communities from flood  plains where necessary,” he said.
Aremu said that bad environmental practices typically caused the blockage at natural water channels and consequently induced floods and erosion.
“It is very difficult to fight water once its rage is unleashed on the environment. “There is the need to clear the drains before the onset of rains to ameliorate the impact, rather than inviting disaster and waiting till the last minute or not doing anything at all.
“Where solid waste is indiscriminately dumped in poorly constructed and ill maintained open drainage channels, a disaster looms in the event of a torrential downpour. “In Nigeria for instance, floods kill and displace thousands of people  farm lands and property worth billions of naira are also destroyed by flood disasters in many local government areas across the country”, he said.
Aremu urged Nigeria to emulate countries like the U.S, Britain, Australia, Canada, India, Pakistan, China, Bangladesh and the Philippines which had been able to effectively manage flood disasters at all levels. He said that Nigeria should adopt the flood management procedures of those countries adding that, it would aid the country’s efforts to tackle flood hazards in a speedy and coordinated manner.