Assessing Community Perception and Attitude towards Flooding in the Lower Benue River Basin, Nigeria

Baker K Emmanuel U Unaegbu

doi:10.4172/2157-7617.1000206

Abstract

In the Lower Benue River Basin, the majority of the population derives their livelihood from subsistent farming and fishing. With climate change expected to result in increased flooding, the impacts on these poor rural farmers will be significant and since adaptation is not cheap, prioritizing responses by sectors becomes essential. Such an analysis can bring to the fore the sectors that are most affected and by implication sectors of importance to the community. Two communities: Wadata and Anyim were selected for survey. Health, housing, agriculture, economic activities, transportation and water are the sectors evaluated. Results reveal agriculture; housing; and economic activities as the worst affected sectors. In furtherance, we argue that prioritization of adaptation by sectors can provide immediate relief for victims. Vulnerability in the region is exacerbated by ‘late’ and ‘historic incorrect’ environmental change communication. Household insurance is non-existent and somewhat non-customary thus, financial adjustments are presumably made with household savings or assets disposal.

Highlights

For thousands of years people have been involved in developing ways to protect themselves against the adverse effect of flooding
In the Lower Benue River Basin, the majority of the population derives their livelihood from subsistent farming and fishing
With a lot of communities located by the River Benue bank and the region supplying a huge quantity of food consumed in Nigeria, finding long-term solutions to the incessant flooding within the Lower Benue River Basin (LBRB) needs to be systematic and strategic

Summary

Introduction

For thousands of years people have been involved in developing ways to protect themselves against the adverse effect of flooding. With a lot of communities located by the River Benue bank and the region supplying a huge quantity of food consumed in Nigeria, finding long-term solutions to the incessant flooding within the LBRB needs to be systematic and strategic. According to Ologunorisa and Adeyemo [12], perception studies are essential for responsible planning of flood alleviation schemes and development. Upon this theoretical foundation, the study explores the perception of impacts on selected sectors/topics - health, housing, agriculture, transportation and water.

Methods

Major Findings and Discussion

Conclusions