LAGOS, RAINS AND FLOODING   

The culture of proper waste disposal and regular clearing of drainages could help in stemming the floods, writes Tayo Ogunbiyi

Of late, the rains have been pouring ceaselessly in Lagos with attendant concerns. It is, thus, vital to put certain things into proper perspective to enhance residents’ understanding of related issues and most importantly intimate them with helpful safety tips.

The first thing to consider is the topography of Lagos. A critical feature of Lagos topography is that it is essentially made up of low-lying terrain up to 0.4 percent below the sea level. Naturally, this constitutes a huge drainage challenge for the state.

If this is put alongside the volume of rain being experienced lately, it might be difficult to rule out flash flooding, especially in some areas.

Second is the fact that experts across the world have earlier declared that the intensity of this year’s rains will be much more than what we had in the past. For instance, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had earlier predicted “extended rains of three to eight days for areas in and around Adamawa, Ogun, Edo, Niger Delta and low-lying areas such as Lagos.

Recent developments have authenticated this position, especially about the volume of rains being experienced across the country.

Third is the challenge of global warming-deforestation, greenhouse gasses emission and its damaging effects on the world. In recent times, millions of people across the world have been affected by deadly floods resulting from torrential rains in China, Australia, Japan, United States of America, Indonesia and Brazil, among others.

All of these experiences are largely traceable to global warming-induced climate change, which is posing major threats to lives, food security and businesses across the world.

Understanding the danger of global warming to its environment, the state government has been in the forefront of combating the challenge in the country. It has held several international global warming conferences in addition to making several advocacy campaigns on the subject in recent times.

Fourth, being a natural occurrence, flooding often defies scientific solutions. Clearly, public safety and good sense call for scientific response to flooding. However, while upgrading environmental infrastructure is important, engineering fixes alone will not suffice.

According to renowned ecologists Donald Hey and Nancy Philippi, despite the massive construction of levees throughout the upper Mississippi Basin during the 20th century, annual average flood damage during that time more than doubled.

Consequently, what is needed across the globe is a comprehensive plan to add ecological infrastructure to complement engineering infrastructure -specifically to expand wetlands and re-activate floodplains to mitigate future flood risks.

Furthermore, it is important to emphasise that in-spite of government and other critical stakeholders’ preparedness at mitigating the effects of heavy downpour in the state, the impact might not be fully felt except everyone shun negative practices that could promote flooding.

For instance, some illegal waste agents being patronized by a few residents indiscriminately dump refuse in canals and large drainage channels.

This often results in blockage of free flow of wastewater, resulting in flash flooding whenever it rains. This is often rampant in markets and other commercial centers as well densely populated areas of the state. Oftentimes, the effects of such poor sanitary habits on affected residents are unquantifiable and devastating.

Some have been rendered homeless and miserable, no thanks to human induced environmental hazards. Thus, we all need to fully embrace the culture of proper waste disposal, comply with building regulations, tap into alternative energy use, and pay necessary attention to sanitation issues among others.

In order to appropriately educate the citizens on proper means of coping during periods on intense rainfall, NGOs, Community Development Associations, the media, members of the Civil Society and all well-meaning individuals and groups in the state need to collaborate with the state government to achieve the required attitudinal change towards the environment.

At present, the government is combining public enlightenment strategies to sensitize Lagosians on this development and has taken the time to proffer solutions so that the rains being currently experienced will not have devastating effects on lives and property.

Similarly, efforts are being made to pursue suitable policy on the environment in order to create and ensure a cleaner, healthier and sustainable environment that will promote economic growth as well as the citizenry’s well-being.

As always, the government is committed to a cleaner environment and quality public health through implementation of community based solid waste management, flood control, vegetal control and high standard of home and personal hygiene, sanitation, control of environment pollution (air, water and noise), beautification and advertisement control.

Consequently, its approach to tackling the issue of flooding in the state is multi-faceted and multi-dimensional. It includes dredging, massive construction and expansion of drainage channels, desilting and excavation of silts to dumpsites, regular repair, clearing and cleaning of drainages, canals and collector drains across the state.

As already stressed, being a coastal city, Lagos is naturally prone to flash flooding. It is thus advised that people avoid flood prone areas during the rainy season. Equally, it is also important for the citizenry, especially children and the aged, to stay indoors in order to reduce rain induced hazards to the barest minimum. 

If it could be avoided, it is better not to drive while it is raining heavily.  Similarly, we need to maintain strict personal and environmental hygiene at all times to avoid being victims of water-borne diseases.

Also, to mitigate the effects of cold, we must ensure that children and the elderly are properly clothed with warm clothing during the rains. It is only when this is done that we will be able to curb the spread of rain-induced health hazards such as cough, cold and other related ones. 

Additionally, this is the time to embrace the culture of taking plenty of thoroughly washed fruits in order to boost the immune system. This is in addition to drinking water from only trusted and well-tested safe sources.

Since we now live in a hi-tech information age, it is also imperative that people listen to news reports and information on weather situations from various available credible media. This will really aid in planning movements and avoiding flood prone locations.

In addition, in view of likely destructive thunder strikes that usually accompany windy rainfall, residents are advised to always disconnect electrical appliances whenever they want to sleep or go out. This will go a long way in checkmating rain induced electrical debacles. Similarly, children should be discouraged from touching electrical equipment when wet.

In as much as it is beyond human powers to stop rains, being a natural phenomenon, we could do things that are in our powers to lessen its negative consequences.

This includes regular clearing of gutters and drainages in our areas, making use of suitable services to dispose of waste, reporting anyone dumping refuse in drains, gutters and canals to appropriate authorities and moving immediately to higher ground when flooding is imminent wherever we are.

Others include staying away from submerged electricity cables, cleaning and disinfecting everything that gets wet, staying away from canals and drainages evacuating or leaving danger zones immediately, calling 767 in case of emergency among others.

On a final note, the federal government and other critical stakeholders should regularly collaborate with states that have peculiar flooding challenges to determine areas of assistance.

Ogunbiyi is Deputy Director (Public Affairs) Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja