28th June, 2011
Flooding is a global phenomenon that has continued to constitute a major threat to cities and indeed nations across the world. At present, thousands of people have been displaced by flooding in China while cities such as California, Mississippi, Sydney, Ibadan to mention just a few, have at different times, faced the menace of flooding . With the prediction of experts that this year will witness more rainfall, most cities of the world are currently battling with the reality of a flood ravaged year. Lagos, being a coastal city, has a peculiar flooding challenge. Therefore, no matter the magnitude of rain, Lagos is always vulnerable to flooding.
In addressing the flooding question in Lagos, it is important to understand certain issues. First is the global climate issue which is disturbing the delicate balancing act that people have with water. As global temperatures rise, many places are threatened by flooding. A recent study looking at who is at risk shows many coastal cities could be hit hard, particularly heavily populated cities in Asia and Africa. In a recent study Dr. Jeff Masters, of Weather Underground in the USA affirms that “… it is likely that some of the flooding disasters in recent times were significantly aggravated by the presence of more water vapour in the air due to global warming. We can expect a large increase in flooding disasters in the US and worldwide if the climate continues to warm as expected….†Understanding the danger of global warming to its environment, the Fashola administration has been in the fore-front of combating the challenge of global warming in the country. It has held several international global warming conferences in addition to making several advocacy campaigns on the subject in recent times.
Second, being a natural occurrence, flooding often time 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 so as to mitigate future flood risks. Instead of letting the nation’s ecological infrastructure degrade further, federal and state authorities should work to expand and rebuild it. Cadres of ecological engineers should join civil engineers in shoring up the nation’s flood defences. Re-creating wetlands and re-activating floodplains in strategic locations will result in a more robust and resilient flood protection system. With more extreme weather and devastating floods likely to occur in the months ahead, according to experts, public safety and economic security depend on enlisting nature’s defences along with our engineered ones. Instead of letting this ecological infrastructure degrade further, the federal and state authorities should work to expand and rebuild it.
Furthermore, certain negative practices easily aid flooding. Despite the availability of civilised options for waste disposing as provided by Lagos Waste Management Authority and its other PSP partners, people still turn canals, streams and drainages into refuse dumping sites. It is so bad that while it is raining, people come out to toss their refuse into the flowing water body. No matter the level of government’s preparedness at tackling flooding, such practices would continue to negate its goals. As much as the government is doing its bits, NGOs, Community Development Associations, the media, members of the Civil Society and all well-meaning individuals and groups in the state should partner with the state government to achieve attitudinal change towards the environment.
Perhaps, it is important to affirm that the Lagos State Government, has, in the last four years, tackled environmental issues with so much vigour, creativity and doggedness. It has recovered, rehabilitated and constructed several drains such as the Macgregor Canal which was particularly responsible for the flooding usually experience by residents of Dolphin Estate in Ikoyi anytime it rained. Presently, the place has been cleaned up and it currently defloods Ijeh, Obalende, Dolphin, Ikoyi, Osborne and a host of others within that location. Similarly, in Achapo Canal, Ajegunle, a good job was done such that the residents can now live in peace all through the year. A major channel called System 5, which runs all the way from Surulere, down to Apapa, through Orile and through Ajegunle, has equally been dredged. Against the backdrop that the system is a major drainage that collects water from these areas, its dredging is quite a good move. Again, there is System 2, which runs all the way from Bariga, through Akoka and Onike, and which has equally been cleaned . The Oko–Oba channel at Abule-Egba, which has three arms, has also been treated while in Gbagada Atunrase where residents have been struggling with flood for the past 25 years, drainage work has equally been completed. Also, on Hospital Road, General Hospital, Gbagada, where flood used to be a serious challenge, all the adjoining channels have been cleaned up and as such the loops in this area are no longer flooded whenever it rained. The de-flooding programme has been carried out all over the state, with drains in Badagry, Ikorodu and Ikeja divisions of the state being cleaned up. At the last count, aside routine maintenance that runs into thousands of naira, major construction and drainage works completed and on-going are in excess of 500.
Equally, there are over 150 trucks that patrol the highways to collect bags of refuse that are collected all over Lagos. A few days ago, the governor commissioned about 100 waste disposing compactors in Olusosun, Ojota. Aside these, lots of Transfer Loading Stations are being constructed so that there will be little pressure on the existing ones. For instance, the one at Simpson Street is now serving Lagos Island, Eti-Osa and its environs. As a result, people in this area don’t have to go to Olusosun to dispose their waste thereby reducing the travel time and other such stress. Thus, while it could be said that government needs to cover more grounds in its de-flooding campaign, it will be difficult to accuse the state government of ill preparedness for the coming rains.
Finally, the Federal Government should readily allow states with peculiar flooding challenges access to its Ecological Fund in addition to other relevant support. The present agitation for the payment of minimum wage has revealed that most states in the country are not buoyant enough to pay workers’ salaries let alone address critical issues such as flooding. If the Federal Government gets the lion share of the nation’s resources, it must be prepared to use same for the well-being of the people whom it holds it in trust for.
•Tayo Ogunbiyi is of the Features Unit, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.