EVALUATION OF THE CAUSES OF FLOOD AND MITIGATION STRATEGIES IN KADUNA SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, NIGERIA

Abstract

Flood disaster has become a significant natural concern to so many rural and urban dwellers in different part of the world, with devastating effects that cannot be overemphasized. Previous studies have discussed causative factors and preventive measures of flooding. However, significant underpinning factors such flood incidence, hazard proximity and delineation of flood vulnerable areas which determine flooding severity and wide scale coverage are often obscured. The situation creates a knowledge gap which this study intends to fill by evaluating the causes of flood in Kaduna South Local Government Area and proffer mitigation strategies. The descriptive survey research design was employed in the study and a total 418 structured questionnaire was shared among residents and professionals in the built environment. Data was presented on tables and analyzed using the relative importance index ranking method so as to determine the severity of the factors that causes flooding and the mitigation measures that are appropriate to tackle the problem. The result of the study showed that 34.36% of the residents have experience flood at least 3 times in single rainy season, while 11.04% and 2.76% of the residents have experience flood at least 6 and 9 times respectively in a single season. Hazard proximity reveals 19.94% of residential buildings located are within 0.1-0.5 km and 13.49% are located within 0.5-1.0 km away from the flood source. Consequently, river overflow with a severity index of 0.31 is the highest cause of flooding in the study area, followed by poor drainage systems and heavy rainfall with Severity index of 0.29 and 0.28 respectively. The study also suggested mitigation measures as good drainage network and stop building on flood plains jointly rank first with a significance index of 0.30, building embankments and implement government policies on flood with 0.28 and 0.27 respectively. Therefore, the authority of Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development should ensure widening and desilting of drainages, the demolition of illegal structures built across the drainage channels and the implementation of government policies on flood.