The Federal Government has advised Nigerians to brace up for more floods in 2021.
Clement Nze, Director-General, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), spoke on Friday at a webinar organised by the Nigerian Institution of Water Engineers.
The increased flooding is due to climate change, population growth, urbanisation, economic development and poor drainage systems, Nze said.
The official noted that changes in climate precipitation, river change flow regime and rise in sea level could worsen the situation.
“More states in the country have started experiencing floods, this agrees with the flood scenarios presented in the 2021 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO),” he said.
He mentioned Lagos, Taraba, Ekiti, Kwara, Ondo and Delta as states that have recorded heavy rain and strong winds in 2021.
The DG explained that the case of Lagos is aggravated by the rising sea level from Arctic ice melting in the last decade.
NAN quoted Nze as saying the current flooding is not peculiar to Nigeria alone, but the world over.
In July, Germany and Belgium experienced intense rainstorms swelling streams that have washed away houses and vehicles, triggering massive landslides.
The NIHSA chief said the agency was improving overflow forecasting and management through the AFO.
Nze added that the public is being engaged through sensitisation workshops, updated hydrological databases and improved hydrological modelling systems.
He called for enforcement and review of environmental laws as well as those of housing, land use, urban and regional planning to forestall submerging.
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