Flooding in Nigeria: A review

Abstract

Flooding is arguably the weather-related hazard whose occurrence is most widespread around the globe. It can occur virtually anywhere. The aim of this paper is to review the impact of climate change and how the changes and variability exacerbate flooding and human displacement in Nigeria. The objective of the study was to understand the extent and impact of flooding in Nigeria. Flood studies in Nigeria are usually regional or local, covering a specific location, state(s) or local government area. Therefore, this study conducted a systematic review of literature on flooding and climate change across the country. It considered only articles that were published in English, spanning the period 2000 to 2020. The retrieved documents were screened and coded into categories and themes based on the similarities in the documents. Articles reporting the causes, impact or management of floods were grouped independently to form several themes and coded for further analysis. The findings indicate that floods occur as a result of torrential rainfall and poor surface drainage systems, ocean and tidal waves causing flooding along the coastal areas, bursting of dams, deforestation, population pressure, and uncoordinated land use planning. Flooding is an age old phenomenon in Nigeria which has claimed lives and property. Flood impact is acknowledged and documented in Nigeria with varying spatio-temporal magnitude, risk, exposure and vulnerability depending on the location and primary cause of the flood. Several policies are being put in place by different levels of government in Nigeria in the form of adaptation and mitigation to check the menace of flooding in the country.