Assessment of Community Resilience and Environmental Casualties in a Flood Prone Terrain of Uyo Urban, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Flood remains a very serious environmental problem in Uyo Urban, Akwa Ibom State. Recurrent flood events in the city of Uyo the State Capital of Akwa Ibom State have been traced to inadequate drainage channels. Many properties have been destroyed, lives lost and thus subjecting the people to unquantifiable trauma. More so, the menace of flood has been on the increase as a result of incipient and prolonged weather conditions. The study assessed community resilience on matters of recurrent flood disaster in Uyo Urban, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. This study aims at assessing community adaptation and coping strategies to this salient environmental monster. Reconnaissance survey on four demarcated zones enables identification of active flood sites for effective data collection in the study area. 97 copies of structured questionnaires were administered to each of the four zones making a total of 388 in order to assess community resilience and adaptation strategies. The study revealed that flood occurs every year and the people have adapted through various strategies ranging from scooping, channelization of drains, clearing of gutters, water retention pit, raising of household materials, relocation to safer zones, timely evacuation of drains and fencing. In most parts of the season, the flood intensity fluctuates from a very high to fairly high intensity. Chi-square manipulation revealed that there is significant community resilience on matters of recurrent flood disaster in Uyo Urban, Akwa Ibom State as accentuated by adaptation and coping strategies identified. The study recommended among others that the government should promote community awareness and participation in flood prone area and also put in place a people-driven community flood management initiatives in Uyo Urban to mitigate to the barest minimum environmental casualties.