Beyond heavy rains, overflowing rivers, broken dams, lack of vegetation, storm surges and tsunamis, melting snow and ice which are seen as natural causes of flood, one of the factors which are being described as artificial causes of flooding to our community is the attitude of people to their environment.
However, some people are poorly aware of their environment and the damages being done to it through their numerous activities. It is obvious that Nigeria is blessed with a friendly environment but mostly floods are seen to be caused by lack of proper waste disposal in the country.
To some Nigerians, drainages have been the appropriate channel for waste disposal, causing distress for free flow of water especially during the rainy season.
Indisputably, one of the factors largely contributing to flooding in Nigeria has been traced to lack of proper waste disposal and nonchalant attitude of Nigerians toward improved drainage. The fact remains that improved drainage helps control floods by facilitating easy flow of excess water in the communities during flash floods.
In 2012, record has it that more than 300 persons lost their lives, about two million others were displaced from their homes, while property worth millions of naira was destroyed by floods which ravaged 27 states during the rains. But in the recent time, concerns for flooding have increased due to some campaigns awareness of NESREA and other relevant agencies in the country.
As Agency responsible for the protection and development of the environment, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA is leaving no stone unturned by creating public awareness and provide environmental education on sustainable environmental management and promoting compliance with environmental regulations on waste disposal.
As part of efforts to curb flooding in Nigeria, NESREA, and sometimes in September 2013 signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), while National Orientation Agency (NOA) also joined in the collaboration to manage disasters and flooding in Nigeria.
Today, under the abled leadership its Director General, Professor Aliyu Jauro, NESREA has continued the campaigns against indiscriminate dumping of refuse across all the states of the federation especially areas susceptible to flood providing tips aiding in the management of disasters in the country.
