With 2012 loss in mind, NEMA gathers experts to combat flooding

Following the N2.6 trillion worth of economic loss to flooding in 2012, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and relevant stakeholders have engaged to check and mitigate impact of the disaster as the rainfalls begin.

They said 126 deaths were recorded, over 48,000 persons displaced and property worth millions of Naira destroyed nationwide in 2019 alone.

At a technical meeting of stakeholders, organised by NEMA to analyse the 2024 seasonal climate prediction yesterday in Abuja, the participants canvassed prompt and proactive action.

NEMA’s Director General, Zubaida Umar, said her organisation gathered the stakeholders and experts to dissect the Seasonal Climate Prediction and Annual Flood Outlook (AFLO), released by the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), to ensure deployment of right personnel to contain devastating impacts.

She said: “Stakeholders with vast experiences in various fields such as agriculture, health, water resources and infrastructure have been brought together to brainstorm so as to come up with actionable climate-related disaster preparedness and mitigation strategies in preparing for and responding to expected impact of the predicted climate hazards.

“This has become more compelling given our previous experience of unprecedented climate-induced disasters that had affected several communities in Nigeria.”

Director, Disaster Management of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Benson Agbro, pointed out that forecast and early warnings are among the most effective risk management strategies to minimise negative impacts.

Quoting statistic from NEMA, he submitted: “In 2012 alone, floods caused more than N2.6 trillion in economic damage, much of which could be attributed to large-scale, trans-border floods (from Rivers Niger and Benue).

“In 2019, about 126 deaths were recorded, over 48,000 people displaced and property worth millions of Naira destroyed across the country. Let me not bore the DG and valued partners here with statistics of recent years.”

Also speaking, Director General of NIHSA, Clement Nze, explained that the yearly outlook was to sensitise relevant agencies on what to expect in the coming months and fast-track make their preparedness.