Water and disaster management in Nigeria: The real estate sector perspective

Abstract

Buildings and the built environment play a key role in supporting human activities and delivering economic prosperity. At this basic level, buildings are designed to provide comfort and act as barriers to environmental hazards. Water disasters are major environmental hazards world-wide and they vary from place to place. In Nigeria, the growing occurrence of extreme weather conditions due to global warming has increased the risk of water disasters both in terms of their frequency and severity. This paper therefore analyzed the causes of the disasters, consequences it has on the real estate sector and disaster management plans to be undertaken by property managers and building engineers to mitigate its effects and uncertainties in the foreseeable future. Using the regression analysis, result of findings indicated that excessive rainfall during the raining seasons, sea level rise, blocked drainages and collapsing of dams were the most significant factors (p < 0.05 and 0.01) causing flooding and leading to water disasters occurrences in the country. In conclusion, this paper therefore recommended that only flood resistant buildings with raised pile foundations should be erected on floodplains. Building structures sitting on canals and drainages should be demolished and debris cleared to allow easy passage of water. Also there should be building of strong and high water defenses around dams and water bodies to prevent overflows. © 2011 WIT Press.