Current Issues in Early Warning and Development Initiatives Towards Enhanced Flood-Related Resilience in Nigeria

Flood Impact Mitigation and Resilience Enhancement ◽

10.5772/intechopen.91247 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ugonna C. Nkwunonwo

Keyword(s):

Early Warning ◽

Disaster Recovery ◽

Early Warning Systems ◽

Flood Hazards ◽

Coping Capacity ◽

Local Initiative ◽

Present Context ◽

The Subject ◽

Research Questions ◽

And Coping

More than 4 years since the UNISDR Sendai framework replaced its predecessor, Hyogo, communities’ resilience to flooding is still a major issue for especially the developing countries (DCs) such as Nigeria where there are unresolved limitations with early warning systems. The recent increase in human and economic damages caused by floods and the inability of communities to recover from the effects, despite years after the disaster, indicate that the global concept of resilience has not been fully grasped. Nigeria, which is the subject of this chapter, typifies this situation. Evidently, the historic flooding of 2012 and its predecessors affected many communities and individual victims most of whom are still struggling with disaster recovery and reconstruction. This raises important research questions. What is not understood in the present context is that government institutions have made a lot of politicizing various interventions and local initiative, but the present reality is a “pathetic travesty of disaster recovery.” This chapter elucidates on these issues through theoretical discussions on community participation, risk-informed investment, and rural adaptation, all of which can be advocated to facilitate community resilience and coping capacity to all variants of flood hazards in Nigeria.

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Forecasting flood hazards in real-time: A surrogate model for hydrometeorological events in an Andean watershed

10.5194/nhess-2019-384 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

María Teresa Contreras ◽

Jorge Gironás ◽

Cristián Escauriaza

Keyword(s):

Early Warning ◽

Surrogate Model ◽

Numerical Models ◽

Early Warning Systems ◽

High Fidelity ◽

Flood Hazards ◽

Warning Systems ◽

Mountain Regions ◽

Flood Prediction ◽

Physically Based

Abstract. Growing urban development, combined with the influence of El Niño and climate change, have increased the threat of large unprecedented floods induced by extreme precipitation in populated areas near mountain regions of South America. High-fidelity numerical models with physically-based formulations can now predict inundations with a substantial level of detail for these regions, incorporating the complex morphology, and copying with insufficient data and the uncertainty posed by the variability of sediment concentrations. These simulations, however, might have large computational costs, especially if many scenarios need to be evaluated to develop early-warning systems and trigger preemptive evacuations. In this investigation we develop a surrogate model or meta-model to provide a rapid response flood prediction to extreme hydrometeorological events. We characterize the storms with a small set of parameters and use a high-fidelity model to create a database of flood propagation under different conditions. We perform an interpolation and regression procedure by using kriging on the space of parameters that characterize the events, approximating efficiently the flow depths in the urban area. This is the first application of its kind in the Andes region, which can be used to improve the prediction of flood hazards in real conditions, employing low computational resources. It also constitutes a new framework to develop early warning systems to help decision makers, managers, and city planners in mountain regions.

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An assessment of flood vulnerability and adaptation: A case study of Hamutsha-Muungamunwe village, Makhado municipality

Jàmbá Journal of Disaster Risk Studies ◽

10.4102/jamba.v11i2.692 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Rendani B. Munyai ◽

Agnes Musyoki ◽

Nthadeuleni S. Nethengwe

Keyword(s):

Coping Strategies ◽

Public Awareness ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Early Warning Systems ◽

Vulnerability Index ◽

Flood Hazards ◽

Flood Vulnerability ◽

Awareness Campaigns ◽

Employment Education ◽

And Coping

This study assesses flood vulnerability, levels of vulnerability, determinants of flood vulnerability and coping strategies for flood hazards. The vulnerability and resilience of the local communities are key concepts in this study. Most households are vulnerable to flood hazards. It is therefore important to measure their levels of vulnerability and assess their responses for current and future planning. A flood vulnerability index was used to measure the extent of flood vulnerability. Key informant interviews, field surveys and household questionnaires were used to collect the data. The results show that vulnerability to flood in this community is determined by the nature of soil, dwelling type, employment, education and amount of rainfall in a season. Social and economic components scored higher than the physical environment, while social factors are higher than the economic factors. Contextual coping strategies in this community were temporary relocation, evacuation to a safe area and waiting for government and neighbours to help. The study recommends that public awareness campaigns, early warning systems and improved disaster management strategies must take into consideration differentiated levels of vulnerability and community coping mechanisms and preferences.

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Flood Impacts Analysis and Mitigation Approach towards Community Resiliency at Nageshwari Upazila, Kurigram

Asian Journal of Social Sciences and Legal Studies ◽

10.34104/ajssls.021.01780192 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 178-192

Keyword(s):

Early Warning ◽

Information Dissemination ◽

Early Warning Systems ◽

Flood Management ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Flood Hazards ◽

Flood Impacts ◽

Community Resiliency ◽

People’S Perception ◽

The Impact

Nageshwari is an upazila of Kurigram locality of Bangladesh. It is one of the most vulnerable areas to flood disasters. Every year many devastating floods occurred in this area. One of the main purposes of the study is to identify flood hazards and their impacts on the people's perception of the study area. Another purpose is to recognize mitigation approaches (both scientific and indigenous practices). To complete the aim, semi-structured questionnaires are used. Besides some key informant interviews and focus groups, discussions are also used to validate the collected data. The key findings of the study are the larger impact of inundation on health, agriculture, fisheries, road and transport, water and hygiene, and housing. From the overall impacts in the study area, the most affected sector is agriculture and roads. From people’s perception, many problems are found due to devastating floods. Unemployment, food scarcity, communication problems, etc. are the common problems in the study area. People practice some indigenous knowledge to reduce the flood impacts. Scientific practices are also applied by the authority to mitigate the flood impacts. But these mitigation measures are not enough toward accomplishes the demand. Some appropriate measures must be needed to decrease the flood impacts. Early warning systems and information dissemination on floods are not well developed. Sufficient and frequent training is needed about proper flood management, early warning, and dissemination within the lessons area. People take some adaptation techniques to diminish the flood. The local Government also takes some initiatives to decrease the flood impacts. But proper flood management needs to be improved to decrease the flood impacts. Proper management and awareness-raising programs will reduce the impact of inundation to enhance the community resiliency of the area.

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The CARE Telematics Network for the Surveillance of Influenza in Europe

Methods of Information in Medicine ◽

10.1055/s-0038-1634617 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 34 (05) ◽

pp. 518-522 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

M. Bensadon ◽

A. Strauss ◽

R. Snacken

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Early Warning ◽

Early Warning Systems ◽

Warning Systems ◽

Surveillance Networks ◽

Spanish Flu ◽

The 1950S ◽

National Networks ◽

First Time

Abstract:Since the 1950s, national networks for the surveillance of influenza have been progressively implemented in several countries. New epidemiological arguments have triggered changes in order to increase the sensitivity of existent early warning systems and to strengthen the communications between European networks. The WHO project CARE Telematics, which collects clinical and virological data of nine national networks and sends useful information to public health administrations, is presented. From the results of the 1993-94 season, the benefits of the system are discussed. Though other telematics networks in this field already exist, it is the first time that virological data, absolutely essential for characterizing the type of an outbreak, are timely available by other countries. This argument will be decisive in case of occurrence of a new strain of virus (shift), such as the Spanish flu in 1918. Priorities are now to include other existing European surveillance networks.

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