Climate change,preparedness and Flood Management

Flood
management tools could be described
as any methodology or instrument aimed at the
pursuit to provide integrated and
sustainable flood management
solutions. Flooding is one of the most widespread
of climatic hazards and poses multiple
risks to human health. Flooding can take many forms,
including slow-onset riverine floods,
rapid-onset flash floods, accumulation
of rainwater in poorly-drained
environments, and coastal floods
caused by tidal and wave extremes.
Both inland and coastal flooding may
be associated with windstorm events.
Floods also vary in magnitude
and impact, according to depth,
velocity of flow, spatial extent, content,
speed of onset, duration and
seasonality. A flood event that has
severe consequences may be termed a flood
disaster, and the human impact of
flood disasters is concentrated
disproportionately in developing
countries like Nigeria and increasing predictive evidence
of heightened global risk of inland and
coastal flooding is emerging as a result of climate change.

Last year a massive flood engulfed Lagos and Oyo state living an orgy of destruction leading to deaths and loss of properties worth billions Naira. flooding is likely to
become more common or more intense
in many areas, especially in low-lying
coastal sites or in zones that currently
experience high rainfall. Marginal
changes in the geographical
distribution of flooding are also
possible. However, prediction of precise
locations for increased flood risk
resulting from climate change is tasking: part of the problem is that
flood risk dynamics have multiple
social, technical and environmental
drivers. Infectious
disease outbreaks have also been reported
following major flood events in
developing countries, and these
outbreaks vary in magnitude and rates
of mortality. Integrated Flood Management (IFM)
requires various specialists to work
together under a joint flood
management strategy or policy. flood
management tools could be described
as any methodology or instrument to
facilitate the application of these
principles of multi-disciplinary and
participatory decision making in their
pursuit to provide integrated and
sustainable flood management
solutions.

Coping mechanisms in response to
floods can apply at all phases of the
hazard management cycle: mitigation,
preparedness, emergency response
and recovery. Interventions can be made at various
points along this process, including
structural and non-structural
mechanisms of flood risk management.
A related issue is the
need for communication of information
to the public in a meaningful and
accessible manner. Social
differentiation in perception of risks and
cultural barriers to effective coping and
take-up of interventions, highlight the
need for preparedness and flood
warning activity to be tailored to local
social contexts. Advance planning is key for successful
Awareness,early warning and
evacuation, emergency health care
provision, infrastructure protection and
other aspects of
response to floods. At the same time, a
planned approach to
response needs a degree of flexibility,
to ensure that actions are tailored to
local circumstances and needs. Efficient
response to health risks flooding
also rests on effective coordination
between stakeholders and agencies, and on
effective linkage between scales of
responsibility, including the relations of
trust and accountability between local
public agencies and communities.

Effective response requires
considerable commitment to
preparedness and risk reduction, both
in time and financial support. Agencies
from flood-prone areas need a long-
term commitment to put strategies in
place and ensure they are capable of
functioning when emergencies arise.
External agencies need to provide a
presence beyond the immediate flood
relief phase, preferably with a long-
term commitment to capacity building
and broad-based community
involvement in intervention projects through a process of analysing
perceptions of risk and coping
strategies of victims and
Stakeholders, and the economic,
social, cultural and political constraints
and opportunities that shape capacity
to adapt.
A major
distinction exists between the impacts of floods in the North and
South,owing to variation in weather pattern. The potential for climate change to
intensify or alter flood patterns means
that it is likely to become a major
additional driver of future risk
from flooding. Though predictive
uncertainties and time scale issues may
remain an impediment to adaptive
action, many such actions are also
likely to provide immediate
benefits for flood-prone populations.
Adaptation to the increased risk posed
by climate change requires a further
shift of emphasis toward flood
preparedness, away from an emphasis
on response. Integrated Flood Management (IFM)
requires various specialists to work
together under a joint flood
management strategy or policy.