Beyond relief, By Dakuku Peterside 

Let me be upfront: I commiserate with everybody affected by the Borno flood. It is a disaster that goes past bodily devastation; it’s about systemic failures. I recognize Governor Babagana Zulum’s management to date. In response to the disaster, he outperforms the standard Nigerian governor with swift motion, pragmatic selections, and an unflinching dedication to the folks. I be a part of the folks of Borno, significantly these affected by the flood, in thanking everybody who has expressed concern concerning the horrible however avoidable humanitarian state of affairs in Nigeria’s Northeast.

In response to yet-to-be-verified accounts, exceptionally heavy rains in September brought on the Alau Dam to break down only a few kilometres outdoors Maiduguri. By Tuesday morning, 10 September, about half of town was submerged, displacing 1000’s of households, destroying houses, and crippling essential infrastructure. The flood has straight impacted over 150,000 folks in Maiduguri alone, with a number of communities utterly minimize off attributable to submerged roads. In response to the Borno State Emergency Administration Company, over 30,000 houses have been broken or destroyed, and important amenities, together with faculties, hospitals, and markets, have been inundated. The intensive harm to farmland, affecting greater than 12,000 hectares, threatens meals safety in a area grappling with extreme starvation and malnutrition.

This yr alone, floods have affected a number of native authorities areas in Borno State, together with Jere, Konduga, and Dikwa. Studies from the Nationwide Emergency Administration Company (NEMA) point out that over 250,000 folks throughout Borno and neighbouring Yobe and Adamawa states have been displaced by floods in 2024. The tragic demise toll stands at over 50, with many extra nonetheless unaccounted for. The financial losses run into billions of naira, exacerbating the area’s already dire humanitarian disaster. The tragedy starkly highlights our vulnerability to excessive climate occasions, exacerbated by local weather change and lack of preparedness.

In keeping with international requirements of response to humanitarian disasters of this nature, humanitarian organisations, the World Well being Group (WHO), native and worldwide NGOs, and the Nationwide Emergency Administration Company (NEMA) shortly mobilised to supply aid supplies corresponding to meals, healthcare provides, and sanitation amenities to help affected individuals. Notable contributions additionally got here from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the World Meals Programme (WFP), the Nigeria Nationwide Petroleum Firm Ltd (NNPCL), the Aliko Dangote Basis, and the Presidential Committee on Flood and Catastrophe, showcasing a wide-ranging however typically uncoordinated response.

Federal and state governments joined the “catastrophe aid donation membership,” and politicians and the enterprise elite, some genuinely altruistic and others merely grandstanding, began outcompeting each other within the publicised donation of funds and provides. Nevertheless, this inflow of generosity was extra about optics than options. The flood introduced politicians and enterprise folks of all persuasions right into a symbolic handshake — to not tackle the foundation causes of the catastrophe nor to create a system that stops future recurrences however to guard elite pursuits and enhance political capital. Amidst this, determined and displaced Nigerians, struggling to rebuild their lives, started retaining psychological data of who was donating what, hoping towards hope that the present of help would someway translate into lasting change.

However the actual work stays undone. What was the foundation reason behind this flooding that displaced tens of millions within the Northeast? With a plethora of governmental establishments, together with the Nigeria Meteorological Company (NiMET), why did we not have correct intelligence or early warning methods to forestall this catastrophe? Nigeria’s reactive method to catastrophe administration is a recurring theme; annually, communities face floods, and annually, aid arrives too late for a lot of.

It’s not possible to disregard the influence of local weather change on these climate patterns. This flood shouldn’t be an remoted incident however a part of a broader, troubling pattern of utmost climate occasions linked to international local weather change. In 2022 alone, floods throughout Nigeria displaced over 2.8 million folks, with Borno among the many worst affected states. But, how significantly are we taking local weather change? Our insurance policies and actions appear disconnected from the pressing have to construct local weather resilience. Regardless of being one of many world’s most climate-vulnerable international locations, Nigeria’s response to those challenges is usually piecemeal and desires a extra strategic imaginative and prescient.

The Borno flood is an exposé on deeper, systemic points plaguing our authorities and nation. Past the aid efforts, it’s time for the federal government and stakeholders in any respect ranges to deal with sustainable improvement, significantly poverty alleviation, environmental degradation, and the dire lack of requisite infrastructure that makes our communities susceptible to disasters. It’s excessive time governments undertake proactive insurance policies that anticipate potential disasters slightly than merely reacting after they happen. This consists of monitoring dams and associated infrastructure, common updates to catastrophe response plans based mostly on previous experiences, and integrating local weather adaptation methods.Prevention is vital.

Nigeria doesn’t have a complete warning system for landslides, floods, and different pure disasters. We have a tendency to attend till calamities strike earlier than mobilising assets for the affected, highlighting the inefficiencies and thoughtless disposition of our political leaders. The pressing want for a complete warning system can’t be overstated. Fairly often, short-term political agendas overshadow long-term flood and catastrophe prevention measures.

As I acknowledged in my earlier essay on reactive governance, dated 10 July, 2023, our political leaders can’t proceed to prioritize short-term aid over long-term readiness and resilience planning. This shortsightedness hampers efficient catastrophe administration in conditions just like the Borno flood. The emphasis on short-term support displays a bigger sample during which political narratives precede real efforts to implement modern measures to avert future disasters. Furthermore, it undermines the effectivity of response efforts when disasters do happen.

The essential query is: what sort of flood administration system do we have to implement to forestall a repeat prevalence? Listed here are some key methods that Nigeria, ought to take into account adopting:

First is constructing a complete flood threat mapping and early warning methods. Flood threat mapping is important for figuring out flood-prone areas and implementing threat discount measures. By investing in sturdy, real-time early warning methods, authorities can present well timed alerts to residents, enabling them to take precautionary measures. These methods must be built-in with climate forecasts from the Nigeria Meteorological Company (NiMET) and real-time river basins and dams monitoring.

The second is bettering and sustaining Dams and Drainage Methods. Important infrastructure failures just like the Alau Dam are a big contributing issue to Borno’s flooding. Common upkeep and upgrading of dams, levees, and drainage methods are important to make sure they will stand up to excessive climate occasions. Governments ought to set up a monitoring framework to often assess the integrity of such infrastructures and perform mandatory repairs and reinforcements.

Third is a Reforestation and Sustainable Land Administration mission. Deforestation and land degradation considerably enhance flood dangers by lowering the land’s pure potential to soak up water. Reforestation, significantly in flood-prone areas, helps stabilise soil and cut back runoff. Selling sustainable agricultural practices and managing land use may also mitigate flood impacts.

Fourth is executing city planning and Flood-Resilient Infrastructure. City areas in Nigeria typically undergo from poor drainage, unregulated constructing practices, and insufficient flood defences. Implementing stricter city planning rules and investing in flood-resilient infrastructure, corresponding to elevated roads, floodwalls, and permeable pavements, can cut back the influence of flooding. Furthermore, relocation of communities from high-risk zones to safer grounds must be thought-about.

Fifth is to create a Group-Primarily based Flood Administration. Participating native communities in flood administration initiatives ensures that responses are tailor-made to the particular wants and vulnerabilities of the inhabitants. This consists of elevating consciousness about flood dangers, emergency preparedness coaching, and involving communities in sustaining flood defences. Group-led initiatives can improve resilience and guarantee quicker, extra coordinated responses when floods happen.

The sixth is to develop and implement a Local weather Change Adaptation Technique. As excessive climate occasions change into extra frequent attributable to local weather change, Nigeria should develop a complete local weather adaptation plan. This consists of integrating local weather threat assessments into nationwide and regional planning, adopting water conservation strategies, and creating insurance policies that promote climate-resilient agriculture. Proactive local weather motion can considerably cut back the long-term influence of flooding.

Lastly, offering Built-in Water Assets Administration (IWRM). Efficient flood administration requires a holistic method that considers upstream and downstream impacts. IWRM promotes coordinated improvement and administration of water, land, and associated assets, making certain that flood prevention measures are harmonised throughout sectors and areas.

Pure catastrophe prevention and administration are intrinsically linked to how significantly we take local weather change. All stakeholders should take pressing and sustained motion to deal with the problem at stake as a result of the extreme threats posed by local weather change demand it. That is very true in Nigeria, the place a large a part of the inhabitants relies on agriculture and different climate-sensitive sectors for his or her livelihood. Subsequently, the federal government should implement sensible, tangible, and fit-for-purpose measures to mitigate local weather change dangers and guarantee sustainable improvement.

It is a clarion name for change. The Borno flood should not simply be one other tragic entry in our historical past books however a pivotal second that sparks transformative motion. The trail ahead calls for braveness, dedication, and the desire to prioritise our collective future over the second’s politics.

Dakuku Peterside is a public sector turnaround professional, management coach, public coverage analyst and columnist.