Appraising flood resilience technologies role in developing cities: how prepared is the professional stakeholder?

Abstract

Past research revealed that advanced technologies via flood resilience technologies (FReT) play an essential role in flood-resilience cities. How equipped is Nigeria’s flood practitioners in embracing FReT to reduce flood damage is yet to receive in-depth studies. Thus, this study examines the role of FReT, investigates the perceived issues facing FReT application, and proffers measures to mitigate the issues to develop better cities that can cope with flooding. To evaluate the flood resilience stakeholders, the study conducted a virtual interview in six geo-political zones of Nigeria. The interviewees were asked the main questions to address the three research questions. Thirty selected stakeholders participated. The study adopted a thematic approach to analyse collected data. Besides categorised barriers (18 issues grouped into six main barriers - technical, socio-economic, institutional, financial, infrastructure, and other barriers) and measures (14 measures grouped into two measures – structural and non-structural measures), findings agree that physical flood resilience infrastructure and funding are critical for inclusive digital transformation in flood resilience technologies and government should lead in this direction. Thus, this study thus contributes to flooding risk management (FRM) in Nigeria by understanding the perceived issues facing professional flood-resilience stakeholders and promoting more resilient places in developing cities.