Effects of flooding caused by Goronyo dam on rural farm families along Sokoto Rima River Basin: 2010 experience

Abstract

This study examined the effects of flooding on the existence of the rural farm families along the upstream and downstream areas of the Sokoto Rima river basin. Structured questionnaire was used to solicit information from 160 randomly selected respondents. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data obtained. The findings of the study revealed that most of the respondents were married and were having large family size with 2-4 hectares of farmland. Also, majority of the farm families were affected by the flood and its effects were mostly felt by the females and underage children. Further majority of the respondents were of the view that the flooding caused a significant damage to their agricultural produce, livestock, livelihood materials and loss of lives. Chi-Square analysis indicated a significant relationship between coping strategies adopted by the farm families and effects of the flood. It is recommended that government should undertake a regular and frequent dredging of the Goronyo dam and its canals; which help in reducing the volume of water in the dam prior to onset of the rainy season and also farmers are advised not to build houses close to the river banks.