Flood Risk Mapping for Effective Mitigation in Lavun Local Government Area, Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

Flood disaster is a common phenomenum in the study which frequently occur and need to be investigated. The study aimed at identification and Map out of flood vulnerable areas in Lavun Local Government Area for effective mitigation strategy. Two FGD were conducted in each of the selected four (4) communities while total number of eleven male (20 to 40 ages) and seven of 50 years above were interviewed. Field measurement, GIS and Remote Sensing were also used in obtaining the data. The result from the classified DEM shows that about 593.10km2 (21.76%) of the area is on highly risk and 362.58km2 (13.31%) on no risk. findings from the FGD reveals that flooding have devastating effects on the schools, clinics, roads and destruction of properties in the communities. The work concluded that, settlements are on the increase towards the floodplain which implies an increasing risk of the built-up areas, farmlands, life and properties to flooding. It was recommended that, the floodplain maps should be used in the structural design of drainage and other flood preventive measures, in communities that are at very high risk.