ABSTRACT
This
study focused on the assessment of flooding problems in makoko area of Lagos
state. The aim and objective was to identify and asses the drainage channel in the
study area, the effects of flooding in the study area, to examine the causes of
flooding in the study area and to examine past efforts of curbing flooding
problems in the study area.
Both
primary and secondary sources of data were employed with focus on the residents
of the study area in order to capture their views on the effects of flooding on
their environment.The research looks Makoko through the view point of the
inhabitants, with the aim of finding out what the inhabitants want, need and
would want to have, in order to improve their drainage conditions. The research
solely focuses on Makoko community and the assessment of its flooding problems.
The research revealed that 44(55.0) of the respondent were below 25 years, 20
of the respondent were between 25 – 35, 12 of the respondent were between 36 –
35, 4 of the respondent were above 46 years. The majority of the respondents
were under 25 year. The characteristics of the drainage channel in this
research work revealed that most of the drainage were open drainage while few
were closed.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Titles pages
Title page
Certification i
Dedication ii
Acknowledgement iii
Table of Content iv
List of Tables vii
List of Figures viii
Abstracts
CHAPTER ONE; BACKGROUND OF STUDY
1.1
Introduction ……………………………………………… 1 - 4
1.2
Statement of research problem …………………………… 4 - 5
1.3
Aim and objective………………………………………… 5
1.4
Research questions………………………………………… 5
1.5
Study Area………………………………………………… 6
1.6
Justification of study……………………………………… 8 - 9
1.7
Scope of study…………………………………………… 8
1.8
Contribution to Knowledge……………………………… 8
CHAPTER TWO; LITERATURE REVIEW AND
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
2.1 Literature
Review…………………………………………………………… 10
2.2 Types and causes of
flooding………………………………………… 11 - 15
2.3
Impacts of flooding on livelihood systems
…………………… 15 - 16
2.4
Governance of flooding and disaster risk……………………… 16 - 20
2.5 Conceptual
framework……………………………………….. 20
-23
CHAPTER
THREE; RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1introduction …………………………………………………………24
3.1.1Research Design
………………………………………………… 24
3.2 Nature of Data………………………………………………………24
3.2.1 Quantitative Data…………………………………………… ……24 - 25
3.3 Sample frame and size………………………………………… 25
3..4 Research instrument for Data
Analysis ……………………………26
3.4.1 Descriptive Tools………………………………………………………
26 - 27
CHAPTER
FOUR; DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATIONS
4.1 Socio Economic Characteristics of
respondents ………………... 28 - 31
4.2 Neighborhood /Environmental data……………………..
31 - 33
4.3 Causes of flooding in
the study area ……………………….. 33
- 38
4.4 Number Of Flooding Occurrence in
the study area…………. 38 - 42
CHAPTER
FIVE; RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION
5.1 Summary of
Findings…………………………………………… 43
5.2 Recommendations and Conclusion
………………………………. 43 - 44
References …………………………………………………………… 45 - 48
List
of Tables
Table
4.1 Age of Respondents
Table
4.2 Gender of Respondents
Table
4.3 Occupational Status of Respondents
Table
4.4 Educational Status of Respondents
Table
4.5 Estimated annual income of
Respondents
Table
4.6 Waste Disposal Method
Table
4.7 Transportation Network
Table
4.8 Sewage Disposal System
Table
4.9 Causes of Flooding Problem
Table
4.10 Eviction of Household Due to
Flooding
Table
4.11 Part of Property Flooded
Table
4.12 Homes Affected by Flood Water
Table
4.13 Length of recovery to normal daily
routine
Table
4.14 Eviction of Household Due to
Flooding
Table4.15 Taking of prevention Methods Before the
Flood
Table
4.16 Number of times of Flooding
Occurrence
Table
4 .17 Worst Flooding Experienced On
Properties
Table
4.18 Reasons for Still Staying In The
Study Area
Table
4.19 Health Implication In The study
Area
Table
4.20 Health Related Water/Vector Borne
Disease Caused By Flooding
Table
4.21 Affected Activities In The Area
List
of Figures
Fig 1.1 Map
of Nigeria
Fig
1.2 Map of Lagos State
Fig
1.3 Aerial Maps Showing the Study Area
Fig
1.4 Showing The Poor Sanitary Condition
of Makoko
Fig
2.1 Integrated vulnerability
framework
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF
STUDY
.A
flood is an overflow of an
expanse of water that submerges land Floods are among the most devastating natural
disasters in the world, claiming more lives and causing more property damage
than any other natural phenomena. In Lagos metropolis, though not leading in
terms of claiming lives, flood affects and displaces more people than any other
disaster it also causes more damage to properties. At least 20 per cent of the
population is at risk from one form of flooding or another (Etuonovbe, 2011).
Iwena
(2005) described flooding to be the accumulation of an abnormal large volume of
water in an area which has refused to percolate or flow away, it usually occurs
when there is heavy rainfall in an area and all the water refuses to sink into
the soil but flows on the earth`s surface as floods. When such floods occur in
the cities it is referred to as Urban Flooding.
Etuonovbe (2011) stated that
flooding may occur when water in the river overflows its banks, or sometimes
results from a torrential rainfall due to climate change. It happens without
warning but with a surprise package that always delivers to unprepared
community like the ones in the Lagos metropolis i.e Makoko, Ikorodu, Victoria
Island, Ajegunle, Bariga and so on. In Makoko, flood disaster has been perilous
to people and communities. Recently and other parts of lagos state have been
affected by flooding, chasing the inhabitants away and retarding commercial
activities. It has shattered both the built-environment and underdeveloped
areas. It has claimed lives, and
thousands of properties got lost or destroyed due to its occurrences. One
prominent feature about it is that flooding does not discriminate, but
marginalizes whosoever refuses to prepare for its occurrence (UNHabitat, 2008).There
are factors of flooding depending on locality
McGranahan
et al. (2007) noted that while economic activity and urban Development often
increase the environmental pressures that lead to flooding, it is the low
Income settlements and poor groups within all settlements that tend to be the
most vulnerable. Coastal towns are by far the most developed of Africa’s urban
areas and by implication, have a high concentration of residential, industrial,
commercial, educational and military facilities which are vulnerable to this
environmental hazard (UNHabitat, 2008).
Whereas
flooding itself is a situation that results when land that is usually dry is
covered with water of a river overflowing or heavy rain, flooding occurs
naturally on the flood plains which are prone to disaster.
Generally, Flood is caused by two major factors
which involves the human and man-made factors, these factors obviously are
responsible for the generation and continuous occurrence of flooding in the
environment, and at any point negatively effects the environment at large.
The impact of flooding may be a worldwide
phenomenon, but the effects are more devastating in African cities stated
(Niasse, 2004). Also Makoko in Lagos state is not an exception given their
prevailing socio-economic problems in the area of housing in the urban areas.
Urban areas will be faced with increases in the frequency and intensity of
heavy rainstorms, ocean surges and other extreme weather events. The urban
centers that will be more at risk are those where these events are already
widespread.
Floods
of 2010 have created huge problems for the people of affected areas of the
country. The World Bank estimated some 17.6 million have been affected by this
disaster (Independent Evaluation Group, 2010). Damage of crops, roads, housings
and other infrastructure is estimated more than $6.5 billion. Health problems
including the spread of water-borne diseases have made the life challenge for
the people of affected areas.
Floods and storms may have considerable adverse impacts depending on
location, intensity and duration. In 2003, floods accounted for 3,723 fatalities
around the world, exceeded only by heat waves (about 22,000 due to the very
extreme summer heat wave in Southern Europe) and earthquakes (about 48,000,
mostly due to the Bam Iran disaster) (Munich Re 2003). The International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies reports that weather-related
disasters from a global perspective have been on the rise since 1996 and
increasing from an annual average of 200 (1993–97) to 331 (1998–2002)
(International Federation 2001 and 2003). The number of disasters attributed to
floods is on the rise, while on average the number of people killed due to
floods remains steady (Munich Re 2003). The economic costs of flood disasters
have been increasing globally. Pielke et al. (2002) found that flood losses were
falling to a proportion of GDP although the gross loss is on the rise. The
increase in flood disasters is possibly due to more heavy rainfall events,
increased economic activity, and efficiency of the use of a catchment (Green
1999; Mirza et al. 2001).
Defra
(2004) evaluated health impacts on flood affected people of England and Wales
and found the existence of stress and other psychological difficulties among
them. Floods can affect health directly, for example, by causing injuries and
deaths due to drowning. These can occur during or in the aftermath of a flood
disaster when the residents return to their dwellings to clean up the damage
and debris. Floodwaters also can affect health indirectly, through changes in
other systems (for example, waterborne infections, acute or chronic effects of
exposure to chemical pollutants released into floodwaters, vector borne
diseases, food shortage, and others). Floods also can increase the risk of
cholera, diarrhoea, schistosomiasis, dengue, yellow fever, malaria, Hantavirus,
and other diseases.
Oni
(2003) stated that Floods make an enormous impact on the environment and
society. Floods destroy drainage systems in cities, causing raw sewage to spill
out into bodies of water. Also, in cases of severe floods, buildings can be
significantly damaged and even destroyed. This can lead to catastrophic effects
on the environment as many toxic materials such as paint, pesticide and
gasoline can be released into the Drainage channels like: rivers, lakes, bays,
and ocean, killing maritime life (library.thinkquest.org).
Floods
may also cause millions worth of damage to a city, both evicting people from
their homes and ruining businesses. Floods cause significant amounts of erosion
to coasts, leading to more frequent flooding if not repaired. The attendant loss of life and properties
leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of its victims and no one is left out.
Extreme climatic events have significant economic and social impacts,
especially where infrastructure is damaged – for example domestic and
commercial buildings, transport, energy and water supply to trade, transport
and services. Irrespective of whether urban floods are part of larger riverine
floods or result from inadequate drainage capacities, the damage potential of
floods in cities is extraordinarily high. Given the high spatial concentration
of people and values in cities, even small scale floods may lead to
considerable damages. In extreme cases urban floods can result in disasters
that set back urban development by years or even decades. Recent statistics
clearly indicate that economic damages caused by urban floods are rising
(MunichRe, 2005). On one hand, the continuing urbanization process in
combination with an over-proportional growth of values in cities is responsible
for this trend, while on the other hand floods are indeed increasing, both in
terms of frequency and magnitude.
Therefore,
from the above observation, the vulnerability of Lagos Metropolis to this
threats from Flooding are very extensive and numerous, the fact that Lagos is
an urban metropolis, in fact the Largest urban
agglomeration in Africa and Africa’s most populated city with 18 million people
and a Population growth rate of 6% per annum Projected at 25million people by
2015 (Odjogu, 2008). Lagos being the
industrial and commercial nerve of Nigeria and the most populous nation in
Africa contributes to the phenomena which
makes it pertinent for all the stakeholders to bring to the fore the
issue of Flooding and various mitigating and adaptive measures to cushion its
effects on socio-economic activities in the Lagos Metropolis.
1.2 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM
The assessment of flooding problems in the Makoko area of Lagos
as earlier observed initiates
devastating consequences for the economy of the state and consequently housing
and infrastructural developments. Flooding has had adverse effect on the economy
of the metropolis, creating large scale underdevelopment in some very economic
vital areas, hence, increasing population density in less vulnerable
communities and towns in the metropolis which leads to overpopulation and
congestion. Sea-level rise will have significant impacts on coastal areas of
Africa, especially on its coastal megacities; because of the concentration of
poor populations in potentially hazardous areas those are more vulnerable to
such changes (Klein et al., 2002; Nicholls, 2004).
Traditionally,
studies have shown that flooding occur naturally through excessive rainfall
etc. Also this flooding could be as a result of human activities such as
blockage of drainage, excessive pavement of land, deforestation due to
overconsumption and felling of forest trees, neglect of nature and the
environment which leads humans to build and construct infrastructures on any
available land not regarding its characteristics etc.
Adebajo
(2010) noted that the water level in Lagos is high and it is to a large extent,
surrounded by water and that the topography of the city is relatively flat and
flat terrains do not give much room for the design and construction of proper
functional self cleaning drains in terms of minimum allowable slopes etc.
Nigerians are permanently accustomed to dirt.
This Evidence of this can be seen every day by way of indiscriminate
discharge of garbage into drains and at times on the highway. In urban areas,
Nigerian cities have been described as some of the dirtiest, most unsanitary and
the least aesthetically pleasing in the world (Mabogunje 1996).Waste disposal
habit of the people, Ignorance coupled with poverty may be adduced to the habit
of most people in Lagos metropolis especially in the densely populated states.
It beats one hollow to see a man defecating in broad daylight on the side of
the high way or a woman with her wrapper pulled up urinating on the sidewalk or
gutter in full glare of the public. Or where a man parks his/her car and throws
waste on the street, then one begins to wonder the reason or reasons for those
dirty habits of our people.
1.3 RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
To
access flooding problems in makoko area ofLagos state and proffer sustainable
solution
- What
are the causes of flooding in makoko community
- What
are the effects of flooding in the makoko community
- What
are the appropriate ways to reduce flooding and better the drainage
channels in the area.
- Are
those effects caused by natural or man made factors.
1.4 AIM AND OBJECTIVE
To
access flooding problems in Makoko area of Lagos state and proffer sustainable
solution
i.
Identify and evaluate the drainage
channels in the study area
ii.
Examine the effects of flooding in the
study area
iii.
To examine the causes of flooding in the
study area
iv.
Examine past efforts of curbing the
problem.
1.5 STUDY AREA
According to Squattercity (2007), Makoko
settlement is primarily known as a fishing community whose inhabitant have
lived and fished and lived on the local waters of Lagos lagoon for almost a
hundred years with an estimated population of 85,165 the settlement is based partly on the lagoon
and party on land bordering the lagoon. Some of the inhabitants of Makoko are
notably immigrant fishermen. Inhabitants on the lagoon are said to be mainly
the Ijaw and Egun people in Nigeria and from other neighbouring countries like
Benin Republic, Cameroun, Ghana and Togo.There is a network of wooden planks
that connects the settlement to the main land, which is also used by canoe
makers and allows access to the outside world to buy the canoes.
The
inhabitants on land are said to be mainly Nigerians from different parts of the
country.
The community based on the land regularly suffers from heavy flooding that is
knee deep. The average monthly income is said to be between 10,773 Naira (US
$92) and 15,000 Naira (US$ 127) monthly. There are various occupations found in
Makoko, but the major occupation found in the settlement are fishing and
trading (LMDP Report 2002)
Maps of Research Location
Figure 1.1: Map of
Nigeria
Fig 1.2: Map of
Lagos state
Fig 1.3: Aerial Map Of Makoko
1.6
JUSTIFICATION OF STUDY
The
project research is pertinent as it attempts to asses the flooding problems in
Makoko area of Lagos state. It presents a dynamic challenge to professionals in
the built environment in terms of innovations in construction and development
of infrastructures that can withstand the test of change, securing life and
properties and at the same time maintaining the aesthetic, strength, comfort,
compatibility and cost effectiveness of the environment without compromising
quality.This research is of paramount importance to the government and their
agencies especially planners either political or professionals as it brings to
the fore the need for not only reactive but also pro-active measures by
creating the necessary framework and
enacting appropriate policies necessary to mitigate and adapt to the changes that may be ushered in by the
adverse effect of flooding.
Fig 1.4: Showing
The Poor Sanitary Condition of Makoko
Flooding
has been identified as one of the major factors that prevents Africa’s growing
Population of city dwellers from escaping poverty and stands in the way of
United Nations 2020 Goal of achieving significant improvement in the lives of
urban slum dwellers(Action Aid, 2006). Social relations, structures and
processes can influence the vulnerability of households and communities to
floods through several pathways. On the other hand, social, economic,
political, cultural and historical processes influence how flood hazards affect
people in varying degrees and differing intensities.
This
paper attempts to contribute to a better understanding of the drainage pattern
and flooding problems and the vulnerability of communities in makoko, with
particular reference to growth of the slum and risks from climate change. The
impacts on and vulnerabilities of residents of the selected area of makoko
community to the increasing risks of floods arising from inadequate drainage
patterns
1.7 SCOPE OF STUDY
This study attempts to asses the
flooding problems in the Makoko area of Lagos State. This project emphasizes
more on flooding problems with the major aim of assessing the flooding problems
in the study area.This area (Makoko) was selected as it represents an area of
recent activities in terms of the incidence of flood, this project would carefully
assess the flooding problems in the Makoko area..
1.8 CONTRIBUTION TO KNOWLEDGE
Many
flooding mitigating measures have been taken on local level mainly by state
agencies, Local Government, private companies and even local organizations and institutional
bodies. This paper contributes intensively to identifying the problems of
flooding on the activities of selected vulnerable community in Lagos state.
This project would contain data on,
characteristics of a flood vulnerable community
in Lagos state (Makoko) ; it
would also evaluate the problems of flooding on human activities in the
selected area, Furthermore, recommendations on plausible solutions in terms of
mitigating and adaptation measures in light of flooding effects and the
implementing strategies would be made as well as the structural analysis of
both the positive and negative impacts of flooding.
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