THE CAUSES AND EFFECT OF FLOODING

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0         BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Flooding as one of environmental hazard has posses a serious danger of risk to lives and properties of peoples in their environment. Therefore flooding can be defined as the accumulation of excessive quantity of water in an area without flowing away easily.

It can also be defined as the accumulation of an abnormal large volume of water in an area, which has refused to percolate or flow away. Peter O. S. Ajayi (2001). The rapid increase of flooding had rendered agricultural and commercial activities even residential land use had been degraded or damaged in Egor Local Government Area. This has madder transportation in Egor difficult for the people of the area, even buildings in the area is rendered useless e.g. (teachers house) and low crop productivity in Egor Local Government Area due to leaching of the area.

Since early 1970’s, flooding has posed difficulties to land uses and occupation of such villages and towns found in this area. The causes of flooding in this area may have resulted as a result of man’s activities on the part of cattle rearers, which have caused different types of environmental degradation in the area. This had led to the collapse of building on the advance flooding in Egor (teachers house. Egor (Igbinaduwa quarters), and Ova quarters etc. as well as abandonment done to houses and plot of lands due to excessive flooding.

1.1             STATEMENT OF PROBLEM     

In recent times, flooding has rendered many houses inhabitants, farmland unproductive and caused a traffic congestions, damage to transportation and other roads in the area of study. The effect of flooding has led to deplorable condition of living of people I the area which had made many people either to evacuate or abandoned some houses, farming is no longer encouraged, commuters and transporters are faced with the problem of flooding of routes in the area concerned.

It is on this ground that the researcher intends to examine the causes and effects of flooding in this area of study.   

1.2             OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

1.            To identify the causes of flooding in the area.

2.            To examine the problems and effects of flooding in the area.

3.            to examine the impact of flooding on the people in the area.

4.            To suggest possible solutions to the problem of flooding in the area.

1.3             RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS/QUESTIONS

Flooding might have been caused as a result of improper and inadequate planning of houses in the area result to the increase of flooding:

That flooding has effects on traffic congestion/flooding in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State.

That the absence of good drainage system is a contributing factors to flooding in Egor Local Government Area.

That the over grazing is also contributing greatly to flooding in Egor Local Government Area.

1.4             SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

1.            The findings of this study will be of important use at all time to students of geography, agriculture and town planners.

2.            The study will be a guide to the formulation of land use policies for the study area.

3.            The result of the study will help on how to prevent/control flooding and

4.            The study is seen to contribute to the development of the local government in particular and the state in general.  

1.5             SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study is limited crucially to the strict appraisal of the impact of flooding on land use, using Egor Local Government Area as a case study. Attempt would be made to identify the causes of these natural hazards, its effects on land use, its problems and solution to these problems.

Certainly, the area to deal with in this study is exclusively within Egor Local Government Area. It is however, limited to few selected areas and roads mostly affected by flooding in the area of study.

1.6             DEFINITION OF TERMS

Accumulation: This is a process whereby water is gathered gradually in an area without flowing away easily.

Appraisal: This denotes evaluation of damages caused by flooding to human activities either social or economic terms.

Commuter: This are people who travels along distance to work every day.

Flooding: This is seen as the accumulation of excessive quantity of water in an area without flowing away easily.

Occupant: A person who leaves or works in a particular house, room, building etc.

Transportation: This involved the movement of people and gods from one place to another.

Leaching: This involves the removal of the chemical, mineral etc content from the soil.