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Post Impact Studies of the 2012 Flooding on the Environment and Health of Oguta Residents, Southeastern, Nigeria

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Post Impact Studies of the 2012 Flooding on the Environment and Health of Oguta Residents, Southeastern, Nigeria Journal of Multidisciplinary Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST) ISSN: 2458-9403 Vol. 3 Issue 11, November - 2016 Post Impact Studies Of The 2012 Flooding On The Environment And Health Of Oguta Residents, Southeastern, Nigeria UMUNNAKWE Johnbosco Emeka1, NNAJI Austin Osondu Department of Environmental Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri Imo State, Nigeria [email protected] Abstract—The menace of flooding ravaging Oguta the water and the presence of other pathogenic Local Government Area of Imo state Nigeria has organisms with total plate count at Oguta been a recurrent phenomenon since 1947. This (10cfu/100ml) and Awbana River (50cfu/100ml). research investigated the post impact of 2012 Collected data were subjected to statistical flooding on the environment and health of Oguta analysis using the SPSS and Excel. Direct field residents during the wet season of July 2015. This observation revealed environmental impacts such was achieved by identifying affected locations and as soil erosion, drainage blockage, poor crop investigating the degree of impacts at such stands indicative of high flow velocity of the flood, locations. Both the positive and negative post fertility of soil along flood plains is indicative of a impacts of the flood were examined through the positive impact of the flood event. Results of use of questionnaires, direct field observation and physico-chemical analysis generally show by physico-chemical analysis of soil and surface contamination of environment with heavy metals water bodies. The respondents stated that in the flood affected area. Finally this study negative impacts such as; loss of lives and concluded by making recommendations which properties, destruction of farmlands, poor includes free medical care to residents of affected drinking water, pollution of the environment, area, use of proper agricultural practices to inaccessibility to healthcare services and improve the soil fertility of the affected area and deterioration of health condition due to discouraging infrastructural development such as waterborne diseases like malaria, cholera and buildings, houses and open markets, along flood diarrhea etc were prevalent during and after the prone areas to mitigate and minimize the impact flood. The positive impacts of the flood as stated of flooding on lives and properties. by the respondents includes; improved fertility of the soil along flood plains and increased fish Keywords—Oguta, Flood, Post impact, production. The result of questionnaires also Physicochemical, Questionnaire, Analysis revealed the prevalence of waterborne diseases 1. INTRODUCTION such as Faecal Oral Infections manifesting as diarrhea, vomiting, typhoid fever, cholera and A flood is a body of water which rises to overflow abdominal pain. The physico-chemical land which is not normally submerged. Flooding is composition and microbial quality of 2 different generally regarded as a devastating event worldwide water sources Oguta Lake and Awbana River were [1] and has been reported as the most common investigated using the United States Standard environmental hazard in Nigeria [2]. Flood results from Methods for Examination of Water and a number of causes, ranging from climatological Wastewater (SMEWW). Average values for surface events [3] to anthropogenic events [4] . General rise in water Nitrate (18.2, 58.7), Dissolved Oxygen (9.7, sea level due to global warming, as well as the 6.1), Biological Oxygen Demand (6.2, 2.9), saturated nature of the wetlands are some often- Alkalinity (196, 128), Iron (0.000, 1.522), Lead mentioned causes of flooding. Flood occurs when (0.125, 0.026), Aluminum (0.63, 0.49), Cadmium ponds, lakes, river beds, soil and vegetations cannot (0.109, 0.034), Cobalt (0.318, 0.405) from Oguta absorb all the water, thereby forcing water to run off Lake and Awbana River respectively, were the land in quantities that cannot be carried within observed to be slightly above the background stream channels or retained in natural ponds, lakes values or control extracted from study carried out and man-made reservoirs (dams). Flood can occur in before the flood and WHO standard for drinking rivers when the flow rate exceeds the capacity of river water. It was also observed that average soil channel. The biggest and most destructive flood in the values for Chloride (2514.5, 4263.8), Iron (7.672, history of Nigeria was the 2012 flooding. Given that 14.727) and Copper (0.057, 0.062) for Oguta Lake flooding have some negative impacts that stretches and Awbana River respectively were above WHO far beyond the time of the flood, and these impacts standard. Microbial analysis carried out indicated were made worse by the scale of the flood [5]. the presence of coliforms, fecal contamination of www.jmest.org JMESTN42351896 6031 Journal of Multidisciplinary Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST) ISSN: 2458-9403 Vol. 3 Issue 11, November - 2016 The 2012 flooding started in Plateau state in July, Nigeria) and shares boundaries with Anambra, Delta spread through Borno, Cross river, Ebonyi, and Rivers States. Oguta is a socio-geographic Nassarawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Katsina and Kebbi states community town with a surface area of approximately in August, hit Taraba, Benue, Niger, Kaduna and 2,025.75 square kilometres, with a projected Kano in September, before affecting Delta, Bayelsa, population of 142,340,167,040 [8] and 20,466 after Rivers and Imo states in September and October [6]. the 2012 flood [9]. The Metropolitan City of Oguta is The flood lasted till early periods of December 2012. blessed with Many years after the waters of the flood have a Blue Lake, which happens to be the largest receded; the effects of the flood are still keenly felt, natural lake in Imo State and the second largest hence the need for this study to determine the post- natural lake in Nigeria after Lake Chad. impacts of the 2012 flood on the residents of Oguta after three (3) years. Climate and Vegetation: The areas normally affected by flooding generally Oguta has a tropical climate, with significant rainfall are areas that are on a flat or low lying areas located close to any river system. One of the areas in Imo in most months of the year and only a short dry season [10]. The average annual temperature in state, Nigeria mostly affected by 2012 flood were o Oguta I and Oguta II comprising different communities Oguta is 26.9 C according to K표̈ppen-Geiger climate and riverine areas, such as Orsu, Nnebukwu, Orsu classification [11] with a precipitation of about Obodo, Opuoma, Ezi Orsu. 2129mm falls annually [10]. The driest month is Flooding has adverse effects not only on the December with a precipitation of 15mm and an environment and infrastructural facilities, but also on average precipitation of 339mm. The dry season lasts the health of individuals in the affected community. from October to March and rainy season from April to Serious health impacts identified to be associated with September [12]. The warmest month of the year is March with an average temperature of 28.5o C. In flooding are: injuries such as cuts, sprains, and o lacerations; incidence of faecal-oral disease such as August, the average temperature is 25.4 C which is cholera; appearance of rodent-borne disease such as the lowest all year round. The difference in Leptospirosis (an infectious disease of human and precipitation between the driest month and the wettest month is 324mm, while the average temperatures animal that is caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the o genus Leptospira); an increase in vector-borne vary during the year by 3.1 C (CLIMATE-DATA, diseases such as malaria; impairment of mental 2014). The vegetation is typically tropical rain forest health manifesting in anxiety and depression; increase which plays a significant role in both physical and in post traumatic stress manifesting as sleep chemical weathering. The vegetation is characterized disturbances, irritability and anger. by shrubs, herbs layers, palm trees, bamboo trees and agricultural plants [13]. As reported by Vanguard newspaper [7] the degree of harm caused by the rampaging flood to the Weathering and Soil: hapless citizens and the environment is better [14] observed that the topsoil is composed mainly imagined than seen. Two people were reportedly of lateritic soil (iron-rich soil) due to oxidation through drowned in Oguta axis, fish ponds, cocoa plantations, exposure to the atmosphere. farm lands, plantain, cassava, economic trees and crops were under water. The bridge connecting Oguta Geology and Hydrogeology: and Egbuoma was swallowed leaving over 1,000 Some part of Oguta is also characterized by the homes sacked in Oguta. The multi million Naira Erima presence of Benin formation (Fig. 2) Benin formation Agwuagu Plantation was in water. In view of the comprises a thick sequence of poorly consolidated to flooding, which occasioned the washing away and unconsolidated sandstones that are friable and poorly submersion of the crops and plants, the farmers lost to medium sorted [14]. The presence of Benin their crops and had no hope of getting seedlings. formation is a contributory factor to soil erosion [15]. Again, most people lost their houses where they lived, The geology as outlined above controls the in addition to losing their ancestral homes. The water occurrence and distribution of ground water in the was polluted; people in the affected communities were area. The sandy units form a prolific potential aquifer exposed to the epidemic outbreak of malaria, typhoid with groundwater regionally occurring under fever, cholera and trauma. The cumulative effect of unconfined situations [16]. the 2012 flooding was that in the long term, residents would no longer have a place to live and there is the possibility of famine and starvation. 2. STUDY AREA Location: Oguta is located within latitude 5o42" N – 5o50" N and longitude 6o48" E - 7o02" E and it is located within the Anambra basin (Fig.1).
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