Determinants of Flooding and Strategies for Mitigation: Two-Year Case Study of Benin City

Recent flood disasters in Benin City, Nigeria have claimed a number of lives, damaged property, and threatened the overall livelihood of residents. The economic burden of such events has forced a vast reallocation of monetary resources for clean-up and recovery, as well as forcibly altered and suspe...

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Main Authors: Giuseppe T. Cirella, Felix O. Iyalomhe, Paul O. Adekola
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2019-03-01
Series:Geosciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/9/3/136
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author Giuseppe T. Cirella
Felix O. Iyalomhe
Paul O. Adekola
author_facet Giuseppe T. Cirella
Felix O. Iyalomhe
Paul O. Adekola
author_sort Giuseppe T. Cirella
collection DOAJ
description Recent flood disasters in Benin City, Nigeria have claimed a number of lives, damaged property, and threatened the overall livelihood of residents. The economic burden of such events has forced a vast reallocation of monetary resources for clean-up and recovery, as well as forcibly altered and suspended internal trade via devastated transportation routes. Secondary trends include inflation and migration concerns. As a result, the aim has been to prioritize mitigation by examining easily read, rapidly accessible flood hazard maps, as well as assess and identify areas within the city prone to flooding. We used a number of data sources and conducted a questionnaire surveying three of the local government areas of Benin City over a two-year period. Findings indicate excessive unsustainable land use and land cover change and a flat and high water table area with close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean make the city susceptible to flood risk. Heavy rainfall and drainage system blockage are leading causes of flooding which have destroyed property and houses—two major side effects. A number of mitigation and disaster risk reduction measures were, hereafter, recommended to reduce flooding occurrence in Benin City or lessen its effects on inhabitants.
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spelling doaj.art-4d158ab3eafb4d60a5e7f6f04fbae2862022-12-21T19:03:20ZengMDPI AGGeosciences2076-32632019-03-019313610.3390/geosciences9030136geosciences9030136Determinants of Flooding and Strategies for Mitigation: Two-Year Case Study of Benin CityGiuseppe T. Cirella0Felix O. Iyalomhe1Paul O. Adekola2Chair of Transport Economics, Faculty of Economics, University of Gdansk, 81-824 Sopot, PolandDepartment of Environmental Science and Natural Resource Management, National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja 900211, NigeriaPolo Centre of Sustainability, 18100 Imperia, ItalyRecent flood disasters in Benin City, Nigeria have claimed a number of lives, damaged property, and threatened the overall livelihood of residents. The economic burden of such events has forced a vast reallocation of monetary resources for clean-up and recovery, as well as forcibly altered and suspended internal trade via devastated transportation routes. Secondary trends include inflation and migration concerns. As a result, the aim has been to prioritize mitigation by examining easily read, rapidly accessible flood hazard maps, as well as assess and identify areas within the city prone to flooding. We used a number of data sources and conducted a questionnaire surveying three of the local government areas of Benin City over a two-year period. Findings indicate excessive unsustainable land use and land cover change and a flat and high water table area with close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean make the city susceptible to flood risk. Heavy rainfall and drainage system blockage are leading causes of flooding which have destroyed property and houses—two major side effects. A number of mitigation and disaster risk reduction measures were, hereafter, recommended to reduce flooding occurrence in Benin City or lessen its effects on inhabitants.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/9/3/136floodingmitigationheavy rainfalldisaster risk reductionBenin City
spellingShingle Giuseppe T. Cirella
Felix O. Iyalomhe
Paul O. Adekola
Determinants of Flooding and Strategies for Mitigation: Two-Year Case Study of Benin City
Geosciences
flooding
mitigation
heavy rainfall
disaster risk reduction
Benin City
title Determinants of Flooding and Strategies for Mitigation: Two-Year Case Study of Benin City
title_full Determinants of Flooding and Strategies for Mitigation: Two-Year Case Study of Benin City
title_fullStr Determinants of Flooding and Strategies for Mitigation: Two-Year Case Study of Benin City
title_full_unstemmed Determinants of Flooding and Strategies for Mitigation: Two-Year Case Study of Benin City
title_short Determinants of Flooding and Strategies for Mitigation: Two-Year Case Study of Benin City
title_sort determinants of flooding and strategies for mitigation two year case study of benin city
topic flooding
mitigation
heavy rainfall
disaster risk reduction
Benin City
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/9/3/136
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AT felixoiyalomhe determinantsoffloodingandstrategiesformitigationtwoyearcasestudyofbenincity
AT pauloadekola determinantsoffloodingandstrategiesformitigationtwoyearcasestudyofbenincity