Flooding in Nigeria and Sustainable Land Development: Case of Delta State

Abstract

Several Nigerian communities had in recent times experienced an upsurge of groundwater flooding with devastating effects. The demand for land for development had not been without attendant problems caused by the flood and neglect of building and other related laws. The work identified main factors that cause groundwater flood and their effects thereof. Questionnaires were designed and administered on respondents from the research area, while a relative severity index established. It was found from the analysis of combined responses using the weighted means method that property values are adversely affected by flood. And that flood activities hinder appreciable land development. This paper recommends among other things the enforcement of building and other laws aimed at reducing the incidence and effect of flood and the use of modern digital GIS devices in flood forecasting.