Dear,

True to predictions made early this year, our nation has experienced major flood disasters this year. Lagos and recently Ibadan have experienced very heavy flooding leaving in its trail, lots of avoidable deaths and massive destruction of property.

Unlike our nation, the coasts of USA experienced a high category hurricane but in this case its severity was accurately predicted and its fury managed to reduce loss to lives and property to the barest minimum. There are numerous lessons to be learned from how the disaster was averted.

The exact time and date of hurricane Irene was accurately predicted. Its severity and path was determined and sufficient early warning was made. It is not enough to inform us early in the year that ‘this years rain will be heavy’. The time, date and severity of the rains can be accurately and precisely determined.

This will then lead to adequate preparations to forestall its devastating effects. You do not begin to prepare for a flood on the day of the rains; you need to prepare ahead of time. The Biblical Noah’s Ark was built before the rains began!

Secondly, persons in the eye of hurricane Irene were advised to evacuate to safe heavens while others not likely to be severely affected were advised to pack their ‘go-bags’ containing basic life saver items and take shelter in safe places like basements. Sports tournaments were re-scheduled. By diligent study, the likely path of flood waters can be charted with a view to evacuating those likely to be swept by its surging fury.

With the likelihood of more severe climatic changes, it becomes imperative to have standard disaster relief centres to accommodate displaced persons in cases of emergency. Existing schools and religious centres can be modified to take on this additional responsibity. Such centres must be carefully located and sufficiently equipped to accommodate and cater for displaced persons.

Understandably our disaster management capacity is still relief-based and in its infancy but for us to cope adequately with the severity of today’s climate-changing world, we definitely need to upgrade our disaster management capacity especially in the area of climate studies. Inter-agency co-operation must be intensified while man-power training must be continous and consistent. Toll-free emergency telephone numbers must be made available to the general public while regional helicopters should be procured.

Oftentimes, building development proceeds in an uncoordinated manner without any form of infrastructure (roads, gutters and canals) development with the result that housing development is executed without a defined finished road level to bench entrance levels. This trend must be checkmated as infrastructural development must precede housing development. Every town or city must have a infrastructural development masterplan while development control must be ensured to avoid building erection on flood plains, canal paths and low-lying areas susceptible to flooding.

As in all cases, failing to plan is planning to fail, we must develop our disaster management capacity from its current relief based status to a more proactive and responsive status.

Ach Emeka Izuwah is of Archiplex Consult, Lagos, Nigeria.