The 2012 Flooding in Selected Parts of Isoko South, Delta State: Assessment of Socio-Economic Impacts

Abstract

Abstract The study investigated the socio-economic impacts of the 2012 flooding in the riverine areas Isoko south Local Government area, Delta State. Two communities Oleh and Aviara which were greatly affected by the flood event were selected for the study. Both purposive and simple random sampling techniques were adopted in the survey. A total of two hundred questionnaire were distributed to household heads, famers, community and religious leaders, one hundred per community. Impacts on building/household property, financial cost of damage, impact on small farm holders, damage on school infrastructures, diseases distributed were used as impact indicators. The study showed that displacement of family members for a period of 3-4months recorded the highest impact with Oleh and Aviara communities scoring impact level of 34% and 36.6% respectively. This was followed by submergence of farmland/lost of valuable household property, 27.7% in Oleh community and 23.6% Aviara community. Death/major injury during the flood event recorded least impact of 8.5% in Oleh and 3.2% in Aviara communities. On the average these impacts were valued at between one and two million naira (N). Analysis of impact on small farm holders showed that monthly income groups between <50,000 and 100,000 naira(N) were worst hit by the flood event. These groups are mostly subsistent farmers including snail farmers, poultry owners. The study revealed that schools were closed down for a period of 2-3months while collapsed of bridges was a leading cause of disruption in school activities with impact scores of 22.2% and 18.8% in Oleh and Avaira communities respectively. Analysis of disease distribution showed that malaria fever ranked highest, 33.1% in Oleh and 41.9% in Avaira respectively. This was followed by Diarrhoea, 22.6% in Oleh and Typhoid fever, 22.1% in Aviara. Bearing the losses was a common response approach to the flood disaster in the sampled communities with scores of 30.9% in Oleh and 27.6% in Aviara community. Structural modification ranked second with impact score of 16.5% in Oleh and migration to alternative location 16.3% in Avaira. Least response approach was construction of Monkey Bridge, 4.2% in Oleh and 4.1% in Avaira. Analysis of underlying cause of vulnerability showed that over reliance on government intervention thus doing little was main cause of vulnerability in Oleh, 25%, while in Avaira the main cause of vulnerability was attitude/cultural belief, 20.4%. The geographical locations of these communities also increase their vulnerability to flood by 22.9% in Oleh and 19.4% in Aviara. Result of student t test at 0.05 level of significance showed that the impact of the 2012 flooding in study area was similar in terms of damage to physical property, financial cost of impact, damage to school infrastructures and disease distribution. However, significant variation was observed in the two communities in terms of impacts on small farm holders. The study recommends land zoning in the framework of urban planning and regulation of urban development with a view to reducing the vulnerability of future flooding especially in the light recent global warming and climate change.