After the Heavy Rainfall, A Flood of Troubles…. Pun intended!

A few days ago, I watched a flash flood build up….. a first experience; it had been 4 hours of nonstop rainfall that began at about 8am that morning. I stood on the balcony of a four-floored building as I watched; the cars were moving as fast as they could…. of course, not as fast as they wanted. Despite the number of cars on the road, there were even more parked on the sides waiting for the heavy rain to ease. Standing at the top floor of the building, I could almost hear the rhythmic swish of the wiper blades from the countless cars jammed on the road below.

I looked across the bridge from me and the curbs were lined with a multitude of green kekes (tricycles), their uniform color creating a striking visual display. Each one was parked bumper to bumper, forming a continuous row of bright green that stretched as far as the eye could see. I silently wished that they were full-grown trees that had been planted there instead.

Downstairs, I spotted a young male that had his pair of shoes in his hands, using the downpour from the rooftop to wash off the mud on the soles. The soil had already become saturated, I could see deep footsteps on the ground and saw why the young man had to get his light blue pair of socks get soaked on the concrete floor.

I looked up again, and as the heavy rainfall intensified, the fields and farms behind the gas station was already waterlogged, water quickly accumulated on the roads, rooftops, parking lots despite the rapid runoff. I could hear the water come alive as the stream gushed, there was a churning and spouting through the overflowing gutters and drains. The intensity of the surge amplified the usual state of anarchy that these gutters and streams are always in….. clogged with trash and litter. The torrents roared with increased volume, hinting at the potential for imminent flooding.?

Suddenly the rain stopped, the roads had eventually become impassable, the vehicles parked on the road were now covered to one-fifth of their height. I started to get anxious, I had two kids in school and a partner far away on a construction site at the other side of the bridge that was already concealed with water, I barely saw the rails. I looked at my phone and I had forgotten that I scheduled a ride and he was on his way, I advised him to take an alternate route while I meet him halfway on foot. On my way down, a lady I had once come to see in the same building was walking hurriedly towards me, ‘are you seeing this?’ she asked, I silently resented her for a minute…

No! she didn’t cause the heavy downpour, but a month earlier, I had an appointment in her beauty parlor, and I had asked her if she knew any waste collector around, or where I could drop off waste for collection from the garbage I had cleaned out of an old home. I told her that the waste was like 2.5 tundra truck trunks full of junk. Her reply was ‘oh, what do you need a waste collector for? Get rid of them in the river behind this building.

There!, I reminded her of that conversation we had, and added that perhaps it is all the junk that she had directed everyone to dump there that has caused this mess. She was quiet and I had to go. ?

I got downstairs and the scene was one of slight chaos, with people moving hurriedly and voices raised in mild panic. Cars honked incessantly as drivers navigated the flooded streets, and pedestrians dashed for cover, their movements quick and uncoordinated, while I walked along the completely submerged pedestrian path and I became disorientated, overtaken by a little panic and fear and for a sec I felt like the water was pulling me off my feet and I was being swept away by the powerful currents. A tear rolled down my face out of fear and I imagined this was really how people drowned, from disorientation, panic and fear, physical distress, weakness and fatigue.……

This was indeed a flash flood!

I saw a lot of troubles with this… despite a heavy downpour for more than four hours, I can say for sure, there were no emergency alerts or warnings on imminent danger on my phone and anyone’s’.

I saw troubles with this flood related to the improper waste disposal habits of citizens, the kind of ignorance from the young lady that asked me to put my litter in the river, a lot of children born in low-income areas have no clue where their waste goes unless in gutters and water bodies, that I have not known any organized waste collector for 7 years of residing in this city.

A lot of factors negating a developing country like ours were exposed, like poor infrastructure, weak institutions with limited capacity to plan, coordinate, and execute disaster response and recovery efforts, rapid urbanization and lack of effective urban planning leading to settlements in vulnerable areas and at risk, lower level of public awareness, leading to insufficient preparedness, limited access to technology and data that would hinder accurate forecasting and effective response inadequate or poorly maintained flood defenses.

Earlier in that month, we heard the news how 6 children had drowned in a river on their way to school. ?

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The thing is, Nigeria experiences annual flooding events, particularly during the rainy season, which typically runs from April to October. In 2012 it experienced one of the worst floods in the country’s history, affecting over 7.7 million people across 30 states and causing significant damage to infrastructure and agriculture. ?Flooding often displaces thousands of people each year, in 2022, over 200,000 people were displaced due to flooding, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). It can result in fatalities, as in 2018 flooding in various parts of Nigeria led to numerous deaths and injuries.

In terms of destruction of property, infrastructure and agriculture lands, in 2012 floods alone caused an estimated $16 billion in damage and economic losses. For its impact on agriculture, in 2012, the floods damaged crops and farmlands across 15 states, affecting food security and agriculture-based economies. In 2015 in Lagos, there was a widespread damage to roads and properties, disrupting transportation and daily activities.

Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of flooding events in Nigeria. Changes in rainfall patterns, rising temperatures, and sea-level rise are contributing to more severe flooding.

On this day in Nigeria, it was the beginning of the #endbadgovernance protest, the built environment may not specifically be on the list of demands, however a well-designed and maintained built environment is crucial for the overall well-being and functionality of urban / rural areas and for nation building.

From my experience a few days ago and, as an Architect and Urbanist, I recognize the significant differences between developing and developed countries in the effectiveness of response and mitigation measures during floods. To accommodate flooding in any state at any time in Nigeria, the built environment must be designed to incorporate certain elements and strategies as:

Green infrastructure: The presence of green spaces like parks, wetlands, green roofs, rain gardens that can absorb and slow down run off and reduce flood impact.

Zoning and Land use planning: Preserve parks, wetlands strict zoning regulations that restrict development in flood prone area.

Effective Drainage Systems: Incorporate advanced drainage systems, including permeable pavements, and retention ponds, to manage and redirect storm-water efficiently.

Retention and Detention Basins: Construct basins to temporarily hold floodwater and release it slowly, reducing peak flow and downstream impacts.

Effective Waste Management: An effective management of wastes in the cities, citizens knowing where wastes go, how to sort them, how to disposal of them to prevent blockages in drainage systems and water bodies.

Retention and Detention Basins: Create basins to temporarily hold floodwater and release it slowly, reducing peak flow and downstream impacts.

Maintenance and Upgrading: A culture we need in our clime is maintenance. Regularly maintain and upgrade existing infrastructure to ensure it remains effective in managing flood risks

Elevated Structures: Buildings and infrastructure should be elevated above known flood levels using stilts, raised foundations, or earth mounds.

Flood-Resistant Materials: Use materials that can withstand water exposure without significant damage, such as concrete, metal, and water-resistant insulation.

I am in fear, imagining another sudden flood and the troubles that it may come with, and if at all the infrastructure are ready for a second hit.

All of these urban design elements and strategies for the built environment especially on flooding may sound technical and sound like they should take time, but…… safeguarding human lives during flooding is a critical priority. Immediate, coordinated, and comprehensive responses are essential to protect individuals, prevent loss of life, and support recovery efforts, and with the right leaders in place, it should be a walk in the green park!

By, The Carpenter’s Daughter

(Rhoda T-K) ?

For climate-Thursday