Geographic Information System (GIS) Assessment of the Impact of Flooding on Residential Buildings in Akure, Nigeria

Abstract

Flooding has caused the deaths of people, collapse of buildings, destruction of properties, and a lot of worries to occupants in Nigeria. In spite of persistent incident of flooding in many areas, the researches that are aimed at lessening the impacts of flooding, especially on residential buildings close to riverbanks are few. The study assessed the influence of flooding on residential buildings in Ajeromi Community of Ondo State, Nigeria using Geographic Information System (GIS). A triangulation research approach involving structured questionnaire, personal observation and the application of Geographic Information System (GIS) were used. Data were collected from the occupants of buildings and GIS was used to collect information on the geo-referencing of affected buildings showing river channels, contours, and the topography of the area. From the result, the major effects of flooding were; paint defects, present of rot and mould, damage to the finishes of buildings, wall dampness, and cracking of ground floor due to uplift pressure. The major reason for vulnerability of these residential buildings to flooding were heavy rainfalls and climate changes, construction of buildings closes to waterways, and poor physical planning of the community. Flood resilience measures for residential occupants in the areas includes adequate channelization of waterbodies and avoidance of waterways when constructing buildings. All the results correlated with the findings of results from physical assessment and GIS geo-referencing. Based on the findings, GIS can be used to assess residential buildings to prevent flooding and enhance flood resilience.