PREPARING FOR THE WET SEASON

It’s in the national interest for the states to prepare adequately for the rains

With the country’s urbanisation rate put at 5.5 per cent yearly which is considered one of the highest rates in the world, the number of Nigerians vulnerable to flood hazards is high. But despite the devastating effect of flooding in various parts of the country in recent years and the warnings by Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), authorities in Nigeria still seem unprepared when the rains come. For this year, NiMET has predicted above normal rainfall which will start early in Kano, Niger, Rivers and 12 other states of the federation. Farmers are enjoined not to rush into planting seeds. Considering the impact on national food supply, it is an admonition that should be heeded.

The essence of the Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP), according to Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Yakubu Kofarmata, is to empower decision-makers with credible, timely, and actionable climate information to avert disasters. In the flood of 2012, for instance, no fewer than 665 people died while the World Bank estimated losses at about $6.7 billion. More than three million people were displaced across the country. Indeed, indications are that the rains expected this year will follow the usual pattern of heavy floods and devastation.

 In recent years, floods have displaced several million Nigerians with rural dwellers losing farmlands, livestock and their means of livelihood. In many states, local economies collapsed, while the interventions designed to ameliorate the suffering of those affected have made little or no impact. Some states usually make perfunctory announcements immediately following NiMET’s warning, and nothing more. Even in states where officials go beyond announcing the warning, arrangements are usually never made for communities in the endangered areas.

As we have repeatedly highlighted, flooding does enormous damage to the ecosystem and destroys public utilities. It also elevates the risk of hunger and malnutrition because of disruption of farmlands and commercial losses for farmers engaged in subsistence farming. But perhaps most significant is that we have lost thousands of people to flooding in the past decade while millions remain displaced. Authorities in the 36 states therefore have enough time to prepare adequate measures against the elements to avert another tragedy. Blocked drains, especially in areas where flood waters easily accumulate and generate a strong force, should be cleared, and subsequently kept free. For a country where consecutive years of flooding, loss of farm produce and a lackadaisical attitude by the authorities have contributed to the challenge of food insecurity, we must take the NiMET warning much more seriously. These losses that traditionally occur during the peak of the rain season are detrimental to the country’s economy. It is one thing to have bumper harvest during the rainy season, but it is another thing to have the capacity to preserve the harvest for immediate gains of the farmers during the high demand for food that follows the dry season.

 We implore all the relevant authorities to prepare for the rains with great diligence. Individuals and groups living on flood plains should be evacuated or made to stay away from the potential dangers of their places of abode. The focus should be on prevention and pre-emptive intervention because little is gained when resources that should be put into developmental initiatives are dissipated in dealing with avoidable emergencies and calamities.