The Nation Newspaper

Tag: flooding

  • Flooding: Retention pond to the rescue

    • NIESV offers to help

    As Lagos residents continue to lament the losses suffered during the week-long downpour, the Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, has said the government is working hard to ensure that the state is flood free.

    According to Adejare, while Lagos had experienced 475mm of rainfall in the last seven days up to last Monday, the downpour of last Saturday which stood at 178mm, was more than six months of rainfall in the city of California, USA.

    Adejare, who spoke at the sensitisation programme for the 2017 Water Technology and Environmental Control Exhibition and Conference (WATEC) held at Renaissance Hotel, GRA, Ikeja, on Monday, said to contain flooding, the government had resolved to be more stringent in the campaign against dumping of refuse in canals and drains, and would scale up the application of physical planning laws against the erection of buildings on canals, drainage channels and water courses.

    He attributed the flooding of some areas to the high tide of the lagoon, persistent rainfall and high volume of storm water, and consequent backflow from the lagoon to the drains instead of the drains discharging into the lagoon. He further said that upon the cessation of the rain, its water would have receded, and described such as a proof that it was flashflood.

    To further put such situation under control, Adejare revealed that the state is building a retention pond to assist in containing flooding. The retention pond is currently being built at Sangotedo area of the state. When completed, it will serve as a form of rainfall harvesting reservoir for storm water at the peak of the rainy season; the content will then be released into the Okota River after the rains subside.

    Adejare said the retention pond was essential as Lagos in recent times had been experiencing flash flooding due to the rise in sea level and persistent rainfall. He further expatiated that flooding all over the world was rated as the second biggest of all natural disasters.

    The retention pond is part of the state government’s response to  flooding, in addition to the existence of about 202 primary channels that also serve as storage for storm water, while also serving to drain storm water.

    In a related development, in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Lagos Branch, Mr. Olurogba Orimalade,  the body regrets that in spite of the state’s investment in the development of infrastructure and urban renewal in the state, the lack of a functional maintenance policy, like managing and clearing the drains and canals, remains an albatross for having a flood free state.

    “In developed and developing nations, every local government area is supposed to have a drainage map. This map will show the drainage channels and canals. With the map, maintaining the drains becomes a much easier task. We, therefore, call on the state government as a matter of urgency, to put in place a maintenance policy which will immediately curtail any further incidence of flooding,” the statement read.

    NIESV noted that in the United Kingdom, for instance, before any new development is deemed fit for occupation, the appropriate regulatory agencies would inspect the property to confirm that such development has kept to certain standards. Such standards include environmental and sanitation standards.

    Sadly, the body noted, such checks are not carried out in Nigeria; a situation that has encouraged private developers building all sorts of structures. “Basic infrastructure like drains in and around the development therefore hardly conform to any standard, thereby giving room to scenarios where there is uneven flow within the drainage channels. This calls for a review of our approval processes during construction and before occupation, to limit the risk of houses being flooded,” NIESV said.

    The institution, therefore, offered to assist government in providing the necessary advisory towards preventing such flooding in the immediate and near future.

  • Unite against flooding, Assembly urges ministries

    The Lagos State House of Assembly has urged the state Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Urban Planning and Physical Development to join forces against flooding.

    This was part of its resolution yesterday sequel to a motion by Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu and 10 other lawmakers.

    The House advised Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to direct the ministries to remove structures that are blocking drainages.

    They urged the ministries to ensure that canals and drainages are dredged and de-silted regularly.

    The state government was also urged to comply with the state masterplan especially for Lekki.

    It was also tasked to create a rescue team for any emergency as well as ensure cooperation amongst the relevant ministries in motoring infractions of environmental laws.

    The Ministry of the Environment in particular was urged to publicise state emergency lines 767 and 112, for people to know what number to call during emergencies.

    Addressing the lawmakers earlier, Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare blamed the flood on natural and human causes.

    According to him, “natural cause comes in form of climate change, and this affected places such as London, Suleja and other places. There was high tide at the sea that made the level of the water to rise.

    “The flood affected places such as Lekki, Victoria Island and Lekki-Epe Expressway. But the water receded within 12 hours. We have been embarking on tree planting to reduce climate change in the state.

    “Man-made is caused by people, who build houses on drainages. We saw people sand-filling to build houses on Osborne Phase 2. People also build houses by the Lagoon against the law,” he said.

    Adejare said further that there are illegal dredging all over the state and that machineries have been put in place to correct all these, adding that drainages channel water to the Lagoon but when they are blocked the water comes back.

    He said that the ministry does massive clearing of drainages before, during and after rainy season.

    The commissioner stressed that it would take time before drainages are properly cleared, and that a lot of advocacy is being done through the print and electronic media to inform the people about the need to prevent flooding in the state.

     

     

  • Minister urges FUTA to research into flooding, others

    The Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibril, has urged the Federal University of Technology at Akure (FUTA) to lead the search for solutions to debilitating flooding and other effects of climatic change ravaging parts of the country.

    The minister spoke on Monday during his visit to West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) domiciled at the university.

    He noted that with the equipment and quality of manpower at the centre, FUTA has what it takes to solve the nation’s environmental challenges.

    The director of the centre, Prof Kehinde Ogunjobi, briefed the minister and his entourage, including the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Dr. Shehu Ahmed, the Executive Director of Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Dr. Adepoju Adeshola, on its operations.

    Ogunjobi said the centre, with support from the German Government, trains competent weather and climate scientists who can proffer viable solutions to weather and climate-related problems in agriculture, water resources and allied sectors for enhanced and sustainable agricultural production, food security and sustainable environment in West Africa.

    He said WASCAL develops climate hazard and vulnerability maps for climate change adaptation and water resources management system for the sub-region.

    According to him, the centre is ready to collaborate with the ministry to tackle the nation’s environmental challenges.

    Ogunjobi noted that to achieve its mandate and proffer solutions to increasing weather and climate change challenges, the Centre has succeeded in training students from across the West Africa sub region.

     

     

     

     

  • We’ll embark on holistic solutions address flooding – Ambode

    We’ll embark on holistic solutions address flooding – Ambode

    Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday said the flooding caused by torrential rainfalls in the State within the last few days would soon be a thing of the past, as the State Government was working towards embarking on holistic solutions to address the situation once and for all.

    Speaking at a sensitization workshop on water management and environmental control held at Ikeja which is a prelude to a Water Technology and Environmental Control (WATEC) exhibition holding in Israel later in the year, the Governor said aside the fact that the issue of flooding was not peculiar to the State or Nigeria as it was a global phenomenon, but that urgent steps are being taken to tackle the challenge in a holistic manner and protect the State from future re-occurrence.

    The Governor, who empathized with people who lost properties to the flood, said that it was painful to see most prime estates flooded with water, roads taken over by floods, while many homesteads literally became pools.

    Describing the workshop as apt coming at a time the State witnessed flooding in some parts, Governor Ambode said in as much as the development was a trying period for him given the fact that so much had been expended in providing infrastructure for the people, but that major strategies would be implemented with the view to bequeathing the State with enduring solution to water management and environmental control.

    “However, if we have learnt anything in the on-going flooding of some parts of the State, it is that there is an immediate, even urgent need for us to embark upon a review and reengineering of our canals and drainage systems.

    “This must be pursued hand-in-hand with a clear and crystal re-envisioning of our water management system. So, in effect, what we should immediately pursue is a holistic solution to what is certain to be a recurring problem. It must be a sincere collaboration between government and the citizenry,” Ambode said.

    The Governor said despite the fact that the State had been denied ecological funds by the previous federal government for political reasons, several reforms were being implemented in line with the capacity of the State Government to protect the shoreline and carry out de-flooding, which according to him, are equally expensive to implement.

    “The issue is when you are talking about reforms, it comes with pains but it is only the vision that drives it through and that is what we are doing,” he said.

    Speaking on the import of the workshop, Governor Ambode said the State Government was partnering with Israel which is one of the first countries to successfully overcome its limitations in water resources to develop water technology and environmental control, adding that the intention would be to explore a wide array of technological advancements and possibilities to ensure best solutions.

    He said as a first step, the State Government would participate at the WATEC exhibition and take full advantage of state of the art technology in Israel, with the view to applying same solution in the State.

    While alluding to the fact that the incidence of flooding was not circumscribed to Nigeria or Third World countries as United Kingdom and even Japan recently witnessed heavily flooding, the Governor said no matter how well a society may be prepared, natural occurrences could not be totally ruled out, and such was why Lagos State and indeed the country fully subscribes to the tenets of Climate Change Solutions by the United Nations.

    “While all the aforementioned examples enjoin us to put our experience and pains into perspective, they also impress on us as a State and a government that we must learn from all these examples in order to better prepare for the future.

    “To that extent, we will reinvigorate our campaign against the dumping of refuse by citizens into canals. We will be stronger in enforcing our physical planning laws especially those building illegally on canals and blocking the free flow of water across the State,” Governor Ambode vowed.

    Speaking on the new waste management strategy being adopted by the State Government encapsulated in the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI), Governor Ambode said available statistics show that the State generate 13, 000 tonnes of waste per day which is the highest in the world, and that the new approach was aimed at revolutionizing waste management with particular emphasis on reusing waste for other critical purposes and growing the economy, as against the present practice of dumping.

    Besides, the Governor said as government would be implementing new strategies to find a lasting solution to the problem of water shortages and flooding, it was also important for residents to play their part by bearing new attitudes towards civic obligations at all times, without which the efforts of government would be in futility.

    Also, the State’s Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Engr Ade Adesanya said the torrential rainfalls witnessed in the State in the past few days accumulated a total of 477mm of water, which was equivalent to the rainfalls experienced in other climes for six months, and that the successful management of the situation was commendable, while expressing the determination of the government to mitigate the impact of such in future.

    On his part, Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Guy Feldman said his country was delighted to partner with the Lagos State Government to bring about lasting solutions to water management and environmental control.

     

  • Flooding: Lagos moves to avert disaster

    Flooding: Lagos moves to avert disaster

    Flooding, is big headache for Lagos State. Yearly, it devises means of curtailing the menace in order to save lives and properties. The government gathered stakeholders to find solution to the seemingly intracable problem plaguing communities along the plains of Ogun River, MUYIWA LUCAS reports.

    Sunday Osagie, a young man living in Edo State, had earnestly looked forward to his vacation in Lagos. That was in June 2012. But he didn’t plan for what he later experienced. His holiday was spent indoors, courtesy of the heavy downpour that began on the second day of his arrival. For seven days, the heavens opened up, emptying its bellies, filling the surface of the earth with water. Across the state were endless stretches of rainwater, which constitututed heavy floods.  And in the process, the state’s economy practically shut down. For more than two weeks after the downpour, everywhere in the state remained flooded.

    It has since been established that while nature may take its natural course in flooding, human activities such as dams’ construction may lead to flooding if not properly managed. The perenial Lagos flooding, experts say, could be attributed to many factors such as torrential rainfall, poor drainage system, poor sewage management and disposal, poor urban planning control, deforestation and climate change. All of these factors have combined to make flooding a regular occurrence in most areas of the state, particularly the Ogun River downstream areas, such as Akute, Kara market, Ishasi, Isheri, Ojodu –Abiodun, Ajiliti and Ajegunle Mile 12 axis of the state.

    Determined to find a lasting solution to it, the state last week, organised a two-day summit on the “Negative Impacts of Flooding of Ogun River on Adjoining Towns and Villages in Lagos State”.  The summit, which held in Alausa, Ikeja, aimed at mitigating the effects of the flooding of Ogun River plains and maximising the benefits derivable from the river basin, which include transportation, fishing/farming, power generation and water supply.

    The State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, who spoke through his Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, said Lagosians along the plains of the Ogun river usually suffer the hardship brought about by the recurrent flooding of the river, owing to the discharge of water from the Oyan Dam, managed by Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA).

    “Over the years, people in flood plains, especially Ajegunle (Ikorodu), Owode-Elede, Agiliti, Maidan and Itowolo, have been at the receiving end of the flooding of the plains of Ogun River” he said.

    According to him, the operational activities of dams, being subject to vagaries of nature, sometimes produce unpleasant consequences to the immediate environment, while human activities, resulting in flagrant abuses of the environment are also contributory factors.

    He said: “While the forces of nature can be adapted to, all man-made factors must be adequately dealt with for sustainable environmental renewal,” adding that, to bequeath a sustainable environment to posterity, Lagosians must change their attitude to the environment.

    Ambode disclosed that in response to the phenomenon of Flooding, the state had strengthened Flood Early Warning Signs (FEWS) to deliver reliable, timely and effective flood information to the people at an appropriate response time.

    As part of measures to relieve the pains of people living along Ogun River plains, Governor Ambode, stressed the commitment of his administration to strengthen the existing relationship with the Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority for effective Dam management.

    Ogun-Osun River Basin is located in the Southwestern part of Nigeria, with a land area of 101,802 km2, which is 11 per cent of the total area of the country. The river basin covers Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Oyo and parts of Kwara States. It is drained by two main rivers–Ogun and Oshun, a number of tributaries and smaller rivers, the most important among them are Sasa, Ona, Ibu, Ofiki, Oni, Oyan, Opeki and Yewa.

    In his paper presented at the summit entitled: “Some Evidence of Changing Climate and the implications on Flood Events in Nigeria,”Director-General/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), Professor Sani Abubakar Mashi, agreed that in addition to the changes in weather patterns, Nigeria has also been experiencing extreme weather events in line with the global trend. He said the extent and intensity of the 2012 flood in Nigeria was almost the worst in recent history.

    He based his submission on statistics from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), which reported that at least 363 persons were killed; 5,871 people were injured; over 590,000 homes were destroyed and over 2.1 million persons displaced by the flood in 2012.  Mashi further said the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) carried out by the World Bank revealed that the losses and damages to infrastructure- transport, electricity, water and sanitation, occasioned by the flood amounted to $398 million. The combined value of the damages and production losses stood at $16.9 billion, representing 1.4 per cent of real gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2012.

    The floods affected 35 out of the 36 states, covering 3,870 communities in 256 Local Government Areas. He said Agriculture ranks among the most vulnerable sectors to extreme weather events. The estimated damage and loss inflicted on the agricultural sector in Nigeria by the 2012 flood, according to him, stood at N481.53 billion, representing 40.6  per cent of the total for the productive sectors.

    From the various plenary session and presentations at the summit, it was evident that flooding in Lagos can be attributed to natural and anthropogenic causes. The natural causes include the flat topography, coastal location, low elevation relative to mean sea Level, climate, hydrology, and soil characteristics while anthropogenic causes include haphazard land-use and physical planning.

    Besides, Lagos, through its Lagoon and Creeks, receives all the waters from the Ogun and Osun river basins for onward release to the Atlantic Ocean via the Commodore Channel. This, in combination with its small geographic size, and extensive urbanisation make Lagos incredibly vulnerable to flooding. Also is the effect of climate change, which is said to be responsible for the extreme weather events such as floods that the country now experiences.

    The summit also noted that the hydrological network within the country are few with insufficient annual financial budgetary support to maintain basic hydrological services and their data collection activities, putting lives and infrastructure at risk and limiting the potential for better and informed decision making. It further noted that flood prevention and management efforts can only be achieved if interdisciplinary and inter-governmental approaches are adopted, and affected communities are sensitised of potential and actual risks in order to induce their pre-cautionary actions, and ature conservation measures adopted.

    The Oyan and Ikere Gorge dams, stakeholders agreed, are underutilised assets, especially as regards their hydro-electrical power generation and irrigation potentials, which offer alternative uses of the Ogun and Oshun basins’ waters that should help prevent flooding of downstream communities. They are convinced that the rapid increase in settlement areas, and corresponding decrease in vegetation cover, non-urban land (floodplains) and channel coverage along the Ogun River course in Lagos and Ogun states are the underlying reasons for the flood impacts during heavy rainfall and release of water from Oyan dam in Ogun State.

    Communique

    Arising from the summit, a communique was issued and signed by stakeholders in attendance. Part of it was that: Physical development (housing estates, industrial estates etc) on Ogun River flood plains must be discouraged by both governments of Lagos and Ogun; that Lagos State should strengthen collaboration with the NiMET, OORBDA, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NiHSA) and other relevant MDAs, for early warning systems on Ogun River; all identified stakeholders (Federal Government, Lagos, Ogun, Oyo states and OORBDA) should ensure that both Oyan and Ikere Gorge dams are put to their maximum usage in order to prevent flooding the downstream. Where necessary, new upstream dams, channels, floodwalls, levees, retaining walls and piers, as well as non-structural options such as natural ecosystems, planted degraded wetlands be used as buffers against flood prone areas. All these they said, should be seriously considered as protective measures by the Federal Government; Lagos and Ogun states and that they should liaise with other relevant stakeholders, especially OORBDA to produce flood risk maps, comprehensive flood plain management plans and set up flood management teams for communities at risk. The stakeholders, it was agreed, must adopt Integrated Water Resources Management plan (IWRM), which promotes the co-ordinated development and management of water, land and related resources, in order to maximise the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems.

    It was also agreed that the Federal and Lagos State, OORBDA and tertiary institutions should facilitate easy access to all relevant data in the public domain from past studies relevant for flood management. Re-afforestation of the flood plains, they said, must be seriously considered for urgent implementation by Lagos and Ogun states, while the Federal Government should partner Lagos State for further studies to better understand the tidal effect of Lagos Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean on the flood plains.

    The OORBDA and the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment, it was recommended, should spearhead the formation of a Technical Committee to work with other states(Ogun, Osun and Oyo) to facilitate regular holding of similar fora. OORBDA, again, should strive to reduce the negative impacts of the Oyan and Ikere Gorge Dams on communities in the Ogun River Basin by followinginternationally acceptable best practices in their reservoir operations.

  • Flooding: Lagos moves to avert disaster

    Flooding: Lagos moves to avert disaster

    Flooding, is big headache for Lagos State. Yearly, it devises means of curtailing the menace  in order to save life and properties. Last week, it gathered stakeholders to find solution to the seemingly intracable problem plaguing  communities along the plains of Ogun River, MUYIWA LUCAS reports.

    Sunday Osagie, a young man living in Edo State, had earnestly looked forward to his vacation in Lagos. That was in June 2012. But he didn’t plan for what he later experienced. His holiday was spent indoors, courtesy of the heavy downpour that began on the second day of his arrival. For seven days, the heavens opened up, emptying its bellies, filling the surface of the earth with water. Across the state were endless stretches of rainwater, which constitututed heavy floods.  And in the process, the state’s economy practically shut down. For more than two weeks after the downpour, everywhere in the state remained flooded.

    It has since been established that while nature may take its natural course in flooding, human activities such as dams’ construction may lead to flooding if not properly managed. The perenial Lagos flooding, experts say, could be attributed to many factors such as torrential rainfall, poor drainage system, poor sewage management and disposal, poor urban planning control, deforestation and climate change. All of these factors have combined to make flooding a regular occurrence in most areas of the state, particularly the Ogun River downstream areas, such as Akute, Kara market, Ishasi, Isheri, Ojodu –Abiodun, Ajiliti and Ajegunle Mile 12 axis of the state.

    Determined to find a lasting solution to it, the state last week, organised a two-day summit on the “Negative Impacts of Flooding of Ogun River on Adjoining Towns and Villages in Lagos State”.  The summit, which held in Alausa, Ikeja, aimed at mitigating the effects of the flooding of Ogun River plains and maximising the benefits derivable from the river basin, which include transportation, fishing/farming, power generation and water supply.

    The State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, who spoke through his Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, said Lagosians along the plains of the Ogun river usually suffer the hardship brought about by the recurrent flooding of the river, owing to the discharge of water from the Oyan Dam, managed by Ogun-Oshun River Basin DevelopmentAuthority (OORBDA).

    “Over the years, people in flood plains, especially Ajegunle (Ikorodu), Owode-Elede, Agiliti, Maidan and Itowolo, have been at the receiving end of the flooding of the plains of Ogun River” he said.

    According to him, the operational activities of dams, being subject to vagaries of nature, sometimes produce unpleasant consequences to the immediate environment, while human activities, resulting in flagrant abuses of the environment are also contributory factors.

    He said: “While the forces of nature can be adapted to, all man-made factors must be adequately dealt with for sustainable environmental renewal,” adding that, to bequeath a sustainable environment to posterity, Lagosians must change their attitude to the environment.

    Ambode disclosed that in response to the phenomenon of Flooding, the state had strengthened Flood Early Warning Signs (FEWS) to deliver reliable, timely and effective flood information to the people at an appropriate response time.

    As part of measures to relieve the pains of people living along Ogun River plains, Governor Ambode, stressed the commitment of his administration to strengthen the existing relationship with the Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority for effective Dam management.

    Ogun-Osun River Basin is located in the Southwestern part of Nigeria, with a land area of 101,802 km2, which is 11 per cent of the total area of the country. The river basin covers Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Oyo and parts of Kwara States. It is drained by two main rivers–Ogun and Oshun, a number of tributaries and smaller rivers, the most important among them are Sasa, Ona, Ibu, Ofiki, Oni, Oyan, Opeki and Yewa.

    In his paper presented at the summit entitled: “Some Evidence of Changing Climate and the implications on Flood Events in Nigeria,”Director-General/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), Professor Sani Abubakar Mashi, agreed that in addition to the changes in weather patterns, Nigeria has also been experiencing extreme weather events in line with the global trend. He said the extent and intensity of the 2012 flood in Nigeria was almost the worst in recent history.

    He based his submission on statistics from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), which reported that at least 363 persons were killed; 5,871 people were injured; over 590,000 homes were destroyed and over 2.1 million persons displaced by the flood in 2012.  Mashi further said the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) carried out by the World Bank revealed that the losses and damages to infrastructure- transport, electricity, water and sanitation, occasioned by the flood amounted to $398 million. The combined value of the damages and production losses stood at $16.9 billion, representing 1.4 per cent of real gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2012.

    The floods affected 35 out of the 36 states, covering 3,870 communities in 256 Local Government Areas. He said Agriculture ranks among the most vulnerable sectors to extreme weather events. The estimated damage and loss inflicted on the agricultural sector in Nigeria by the 2012 flood, according to him, stood at N481.53 billion, representing 40.6  per cent of the total for the productive sectors.

    From the various plenary session and presentations at the summit, it was evident that flooding in Lagos can be attributed to natural and anthropogenic causes. The natural causes include the flat topography, coastal location, low elevation relative to mean sea Level, climate, hydrology, and soil characteristics while anthropogenic causes include haphazard land-use and physical planning.

    Besides, Lagos, through its Lagoon and Creeks, receives all the waters from the Ogun and Osun river basins for onward release to the Atlantic Ocean via the Commodore Channel. This, in combination with its small geographic size, and extensive urbanisation make Lagos incredibly vulnerable to flooding. Also is the effect of climate change, which is said to be responsible for the extreme weather events such as floods that the country now experiences.

    The summit also noted that the hydrological network within the country are few with insufficient annual financial budgetary support to maintain basic hydrological services and their data collection activities, putting lives and infrastructure at risk and limiting the potential for better and informed decision making. It further noted that flood prevention and management efforts can only be achieved if interdisciplinary and inter-governmental approaches are adopted, and affected communities are sensitised of potential and actual risks in order to induce their pre-cautionary actions, and ature conservation measures adopted.

    The Oyan and Ikere Gorge dams, stakeholders agreed, are underutilised assets, especially as regards their hydro-electrical power generation and irrigation potentials, which offer alternative uses of the Ogun and Oshun basins’ waters that should help prevent flooding of downstream communities. They are convinced that the rapid increase in settlement areas, and corresponding decrease in vegetation cover, non-urban land (floodplains) and channel coverage along the Ogun River course in Lagos and Ogun states are the underlying reasons for the flood impacts during heavy rainfall and release of water from Oyan dam in Ogun State.

     

    Communique

    Arising from the summit, a communique was issued and signed by stakeholders in attendance. Part of it was that: Physical development (housing estates, industrial estates etc) on Ogun River flood plains must be discouraged by both governments of Lagos and Ogun; that Lagos State should strengthen collaboration with the NiMET, OORBDA, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NiHSA) and other relevant MDAs, for early warning systems on Ogun River; all identified stakeholders (Federal Government, Lagos, Ogun, Oyo states and OORBDA) should ensure that both Oyan and Ikere Gorge dams are put to their maximum usage in order to prevent flooding the downstream. Where necessary, new upstream dams, channels, floodwalls, levees, retaining walls and piers, as well as non-structural options such as natural ecosystems, planted degraded wetlands be used as buffers against flood prone areas. All these they said, should be seriously considered as protective measures by the Federal Government; Lagos and Ogun states and that they should liaise with other relevant stakeholders, especially OORBDA to produce flood risk maps, comprehensive flood plain management plans and set up flood management teams for communities at risk. The stakeholders, it was agreed, must adopt Integrated Water Resources Management plan (IWRM), which promotes the co-ordinated development and management of water, land and related resources, in order to maximise the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems.

    It was also agreed that the Federal and Lagos State, OORBDA and tertiary institutions should facilitate easy access to all relevant data in the public domain from past studies relevant for flood management. Re-afforestation of the flood plains, they said, must be seriously considered for urgent implementation by Lagos and Ogun states, while the Federal Government should partner Lagos State for further studies to better understand the tidal effect of Lagos Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean on the flood plains.

    The OORBDA and the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment, it was recommended, should spearhead the formation of a Technical Committee to work with other states(Ogun, Osun and Oyo) to facilitate regular holding of similar fora. OORBDA, again, should strive to reduce the negative impacts of the Oyan and Ikere Gorge Dams on communities in the Ogun River Basin by followinginternationally acceptable best practices in their reservoir operations.

  • Rain causes flooding, gridlock in Ikoyi, Victoria Island

    Some parts of Lagos were flooded yesterday following an early morning rain.
    It also caused heavy traffic in the metropolis.
    Areas flooded were Adeniji Adele on Lagos Island, as well as Ikoyi and Victoria Island in Eti Osa Local Government Area.
    Some residents of Idumagbo Avenue on Lagos Island said the flood was caused by the blockage of the major canal in the neighbourhood and its overflow.
    A resident, Mr Yinka Shittu, said the road works in the area also contributed to the flooding.
    “You can see that there is ongoing reconstruction work on this road which has not been completed. Also, construction works where the drainage canal meets the road have yet to be completed. Traders and some of us living in this area have tried to open up the drainage systems but the water has been stagnant,’’ he said.
    A watch repairer, Alhaji Malik Yaro, said some residents dumped refuse in the drains.
    “I am, therefore, not surprised that the floodwater here today was knee deep. People dump refuse of all sorts — empty containers, takeaway plates and papers — in the drainage system. I am assuring you that if the situation continues this way, nobody will like to pass through this place whenever it rains heavily like this again and the floodwater may enter people’s homes and shops,’’ he said.
    A trader, Mr Chudi Ibeazu, said the road works were not moving fast enough.
    “Since November 2016, the slabs where the canal joined the main road had been opened and we have not seen any serious work to show that they want to open up the drainage system for water to flow.
    “You can see from the pattern of flooding; on the left side, coming from Adeniji, the water is still moving but on the right side, the water is not moving at all.
    “My wish is for the government to take a cue from the effect which this rainfall had on the area and speed up construction works in the area.
    “We clear the drainage system at the point where the canal joins the road every other day and especially on Thursdays, but the problem is that the water in the canal does not flow,’’ he said.
    The rain which began around 7:30 am, ended around 9:50 in Somolu on the Mainland.
    A resident, Mrs Oyindamola Adedapo, said the rain brought relief from the heat.
    Another resident, Damola Oriyomi, said the rain was refreshing, adding that it is a sign that the area will be cool.
    “Heat and mosquitoes have been a regular challenge to me every night because it has hindered me from sleeping well. I have been longing for rain since the beginning of the year and I thank God it rained. Am sure I will now be able to sleep better every night.”
    Commissioner for the Environment Dr Babatunde Adejare said the government would not relent in its efforts to stem flooding in the metropolis.
    He urged the public to change their disposal habits and refrain from turning canals and drains into refuse dumpsites.
    Such behavioural change, the commissioner said, was necessary because sudden rain, like that one, could cause flooding.

  • Rivers moves to mitigate flooding

    Rivers moves to mitigate flooding

    To get communities in Rivers State involved in the efforts of the state government to mitigate flooding, the Ministry of Environment has given award to Awalama Community in Rumuokoro, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.

    Commissioner for Environment Prof Roseline Konya, who initiated the award, explained that “it is for their consistency in carrying out de-silting of drains in their community.”

    Konya, who spoke in Port Harcourt at a one-day workshop organised for stakeholders in the state by her ministry in collaboration with Stakeholders Democracy Network (SDN) on Flood Awareness, also appealed to other communities to emulate Awalama Community Youths “so that at the end of the day, we shall all be beneficiaries of a clean environment”.

    At the workshop, which was themed: “Preparedness and Response to Predicted Flooding in Nigeria, Challenges and Way Forward, The Rivers State Case”, the commissioner recalled  that in 2012 the  flood  which engulfed Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Abua/Odual and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni was caused by Benue River over-flowing into Lower Niger.

    “This, in turn over, flew its bank into Orashi River, River Nun and other rivers and banks in the state and this explains why there is need for de-silting and dredging of River Niger, Orashi rivers.;   Sombreiro and other creeks as they have already been  silted over the years,” she said.

    Konya also said that there should be embankments of rivers and creeks especially at points close to affected communities.

    She also called on people to stop acquiring land and building on wet lands, adding that indiscriminate or illegal dumping of refuse around drainage paths and waterways were not the best.

    Road sweepers, Konya warned, should desist from sweeping sand and refuse from the roads into drainages.

    While commending Governor Nyesom Wike for addressing the perennial flooding problems at St Johns Bus stop/Oroworukwo and First Bank by Rumuomasi Junction as well as that of Waterlines Junction all on Aba Road, Port Harcourt, the commissioner urged the ministries of Lands and Survey and that of Works to always collaborate with her office during construction works to know how to channel drains to discharge points for flood elimination.

    The Sole Administrator of Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWMA) ,Brother Felix Obuah, said his agency identified disposal of refuse in public drains as a major cause of urban flooding.

    To this effect, RIWMA has “commenced an awareness campaign and enforcement programme aimed at enlightening the public on the need to properly dispose waste at approved receptacles and in bags,” to reduce the waste found on waterways which cause blocked drains and flooding.

    Obuah, who is also the Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party in the state, saidWike has consistently paid refuse contractors, sweeping contractors and de-silting contractors on a monthly basis since he assumed office.

    “As a result of this, the agency has ensured that contractors handling the smaller drains have consistently been engaged in evacuation and cleaning of all blocked culverts and gutters that drain water to major canals in Port Harcourt,” Obuah said.

    Also speaking, the Chairman, House Committee on Environment, Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Christian Ahiakwo described the workshop as “a wakeup call aimed at changing and reviving our aged long environmental dilapidated psyche for a better, safer and sustainable environment.”

    Ahiakwo said several communities in Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni are currently battling with flood stating that “ the continuous blocking of natural ways by waste and constant invasion of wetlands also contribute to flooding.”

    The lawmaker also lamented that the Nnta-Wogba Creek in Port Harcourt that gathers water from many areas of the metropolis has been turned into refuse dump by inhabitants of the area.

    While proffering many ways of checking flooding in the state, Ahiakwo called for attitudinal change, promising that the state assembly would provide the necessary legal frame work to ensure that flooding is mitigated in the state.

    Making his remarks, the Leader of SDN, Mr Chris Newsom recalled that the Nigeria i Meteorological Agency  (NIMET) has already warned that flooding might be worse this year.

    The effects of flooding, Newsom said is not something one would wish away and therefore, he advised that “no time should be wasted in commencing flood mitigation.”

    Wike, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Chief Kenneth Kobani, stressed the importance of the workshop, pointing out that “it is to ensure that we are not taken unawares.”

    He also said Rivers state being in a very high risk area, it is important that stakeholders imbibe the lessons of the workshop, expressing the belief that the lessons of the event would help the state to ensure that every LGA and communities is aware of what to do to check flooding.

    The Director General of NIMET, Dr Anthony Anuforom through an official of the agency, Mr Joseph Alozie, presented a paper titled: “Preparedness and Response to 2016 Flood Prediction in Nigeria” in which he reviewed the 2012 flood disaster that hit Rivers State, advising that serious efforts be made to avert it this time around.

    Similarly, the Director General of Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Mr Moses Beckley who was represented by Rev, Michael Nwabufor presented a paper titled: “2016 Flood Prediction: Mitigation and Prevention Measures: Hydrological Area V (Rivers State).”

  • Report blames telcos for flooding, poor QoS

    Report blames telcos for flooding, poor QoS

    Telcos indiscriminately install fiber optic cables in gutters and on trees contributing to flooding, poor quality of service (QoS) and other economic loss to Lagos State, the report of a study commissioned by Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance Regulatory Agency (LASMIRA) on February 26 this year, has shown.

    The study which was carried out by Critical Infrastructure Services Limited (CISL), to conduct the Utility Network Audit covered the underground utilities network within the geographical boundaries of the state was ascertain if all utilities providers complied with statutory provisions with regard to all underground communication infrastructures.

    The CEO of CISL, Mr. Chukwudi Obike Okpara, said in the process of preparing the “As Built Database” of all underground facilities in the state, it was discovered that telcos had a free ride in the state and could have even avoided the payment of right of way (RoW) to LASIMRA by installing their cables in gutters and drainages.

    During investigation, it was discovered that  key areas such as, Saka Tinubu St, KofoAboyimi St, Saka Tinubu/Akin Adesola St junction, Ozumba Obamdiwe St, (junction), Ajose Adeogun St, all on Victoria Island, Lagos, were worst hit by the indiscriminate installation of cables.

  • FG explains flooding on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

    FG explains flooding on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

    The Federal Government yesterday blamed  the flooding of portions of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on some companies which built structures on water channels along the road.

    But it directed the contractor handling the flooded portions to provide more palliatives to ameliorate the difficulties caused to motorists by the development.

    In a statement explaining the cause of the flooding at a portion of the road opposite the Mountain Top University (MFM) in Ogun State where construction is currently ongoing, government said the flooding at the portion became severe because the various structures built along the road had blocked the water channels through which runoffs were to flow away from the road, adding that the water retention spot of the whole area had been blocked off by building on the wet zones.

    The statement explained that these locations, which are now built up, were the drainage basins where surface runoff was directed when the road was built about 40 years ago.

    It said the flooding has also been accentuated by some of the communities in the area believed to be discharging their runoffs to the road where drains are yet to be provided, adding that the rains have also been unusually heavy in the past few days, thereby undermining the palliative efforts recently done by the contractor.