The Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Hussein Adamu, recently declared that no fewer than 28 states are likely to experience severe flooding this year.
I will, therefore, like to give a piece of admonition, as well as measures that have been taken in some developed countries to combat flooding.
Floods are caused by many factors: heavy precipitation, severe winds over water, unusual high tides, tsunamis, failure of dams, retention of ponds or other structures that contain water.
Some methods of flood control have been practiced since ancient times. These methods include planting vegetation to retain extra water, terracing hillsides to slow flow downhill, and the construction of floodways (man-made channels) to divert floodwater.
A dike is another method of flood protection. A dyke lowers the risk of having floods compared to other methods. It can prevent damage.
However, it is better to combine dykes with other flood control methods to reduce the risk of collapse.
London is protected from flooding by a huge mechanical barrier across the River Thames, which is raised when the water level reaches a certain point.
Venice has a similar arrangement, although it is already unable to cope with very high tides. The defenses of both London and Venice will be rendered inadequate if sea levels continue to rise.
Flood control systems do not always have to be solely to prevent floods; they can also be used to combat drought.
I will, therefore, like to urge government at all levels in Nigerias to address this menace by adopting the aforementioned measures.
Mallam Musbahu Magayaki, Sabon Fegi, Azare
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