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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER 路 O(TOBER2B.2012
THIS9DAY
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Table: Flooding Statistics
nationwide Hooding.
Nigeria is probably faCing one of its bIggest national I!coiogicar disasters in history. As at the las t count, many communities
.. (
and villagesln 19 states are currently experiencing a deluge of flooding with
dlffereo.! degrees orhumani tarian and economic effects ThE' worst hit states ar!! probably Adamawa. Bauchi, SeOUl!. Kogl Anambra. Edo, Delta and 8ayelsa states where livt!s have been lost and homes. farmlands, schools, offices and roads submergE'd in water thereby rending Ihoosands of pear,le, if not millions. homeless and job ess and having to depend on humanitarian support.
The resulting environmental dlsaster may have affected a higher proportion of farmland and farming population causing analysts to VOlce concerns that the Roods may have dire consequences for food sustalnabillty in the near future. However. the government has assured Nigerians that plans are in place to forestall such an occurrence as the water levels subside. In this report. we review the potential impact of the floods on agricul tural production and prices in the short to medium term. We are worried that the nation may face further economic slowdown if the government's plans are not properly implemented The flood rna, have been caused by ~ howevm-.ln..:lequ.-te emercency lftMaptMftt lnfTastrvctura. poeM" earl, warnlng systam as . .11 as .Iow liI"*'&e"lCr rHponse ttme eucet"bated thepnobl...
The floods are a natural disaster; a sign of the effects of global warming in Africa on a large scale. perhaps for the first time. Countries in Asia. Europe and the Americas have at one time or the other been faced with the effects of rapId climatic change which has been blamed on environmental degradation. greenhouse gas releases and consequently the depletion of the ozone layer. Warmer climates as a result of increas拢'd emission of greenhouse gasses result in mcr.e~sed melting of arctic ice and thus nSlng sea levers The increased preCIpitation In the air. supported by wind movement has created the rising Incidence of Rash Roods In many climatic zones of the world with Asia being worst hit In Nigeria. the problem started with persistent rainfall across the major areas that have been affected and was exacerbated by the release of water from dams along the rivers Niger and Sentle. The release of water from the lagdo dam in upper Cameroun on August 26 has become a reference point in the timeline
Benue Kogi Plateau Kwara Adamawa Taraba Bauchi Kano/Jigawa Anambra Imo Cross River Delta Bayelsa Edo Akwa lbom
25,000 623900 10000 7000 46,030 23205 10000 11500 24726 8000 12000 28764 53363 5000 N/A
The resulting environmental disaster may have affected a higher proportion of farmland and farming population causing analysts to voice concerns that the floods may have dire consequences for food sustainability in the near future
6 9 7 2 7 7 12
2 8 2 7
14 6 3 2
23 21 17 15 21 16 19 44 21
28 18 25 8 15 31
of the disaster The lagdodam Is located 50 km south of the City of Garoua on the Benue River which flows into Nigeria throughAdamawa It 15 beUevetfthat the Camerouman authority warned Nigeria of the planned release of water frpm the Lagdo dam. but a5 a result of slow response time and inadequate emergency infrastructure. the impa"t was not curtailed. In addition topersis1ent rainfall in the upper river Niger and Benut'. ard increased inflows into River Benu~ from the lagdo dam release. water fr~ the Shiroro dam and Kainjl dam was al~o released to forestall the collapse of tllese dams Hence. the TIga dam. river Katagum and Niger. down the RIVer Senue course. overflowed their banks All communities roads, farmlands and infrastructure alo~g the bank or near the river Niger down to the Delta were also flooded Rod.. htnnland.. and thouunds"
dlsptaced people .r. the numerous casualties of the flood
Although there Is no official ftgure on Internany displaced people rough
26% 43% 41% 13% 33% 44% 63% 5% 38% 7% 39% 56% 75% 20% 6%
NC NC NC NC NE NE NE NW 5E 5E 55 55 55 55 55
estimates by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) suggest that about 888.488 people have been rendered homeless across the various states According to NEMA.at least 140 people have lost ttJelr lives. hundreds of thousands dIsplaced and tens of thousands of hectares of farmland have been submerged SIncE' July. In the process. not only have crops been lost. but so have the seedlings that would have been planted in the next planltng season In Kegi alone. NEMA estimated that 152.575 hectares of farmland were destroyed The flood has also cut off access to several rural communities and maJor highways AbuJa-lokoja road the only route connecting the western part of the country to Abula and beyond was closed for days before an alternative unpaved and dIfficult route was qUICkly put togethel While the road has since been declared open. vehicles have to wade through water causing senous traffic gridlock everyday wilh implications for transportation costs It has a(so been reported that the existmg east-west road may have been cut off at Patani In Delta State while the maIO access road into 8ayetsa Stale capital Yenogoats