Flood risk and vulnerability mapping of settlements within upper and lower Niger river basin, Nigeria

Abstract

The frequency and intensity of flood disasters have become serious issues in the national development process of Nigeria as flood disasters have caused serious environmental damages, loss of human lives and other heavy economic losses. The starting point of concrete flood disaster mitigation efforts is to identify the areas with higher risk levels and fashion out appropriate preventive and response mechanisms. This research paper explored the potentials of Geographic Information System (GIS) in data capture, processing and analysis in identifying flood-prone areas for the purpose of planning for disaster mitigation and preparedness, using both upper and lower Niger River basin as units of analysis. This work uses a number of physical, demographic and landuse data which were obtained from Forestry Management Evaluation and Coordination Unit and were entered and use to develop a flood risk information system. Results were illustrated graphically and showed that generally, areas with height less than 180m are categorized high risk areas; areas with height between 180.1 and 500m were categorized as medium or moderate risk areas while areas above 500m are designated as low risk areas. At the end of the study, maps of flood vulnerable areas in the river basin was generated with a view to assisting decision makers on the menace posed by the disaster.

Key Words: Flood, Risk, Vulnerability, Geographical Information System (GIS), River Basin