AWKA/Nigeria: The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has called on community leaders, women, and youth to actively support measures aimed at mitigating the negative impacts of floods during the upcoming rainy season.
At the flag-off of the 2024 Flood Early Warning Sensitisation Exercise held on Wednesday in Awka, Anambra State, NEMA Director-General Mrs. Zubaida Umar emphasized the need for proactive collaboration. The event was organized in conjunction with the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
Umar highlighted that Anambra is among the 31 states identified as being at high or moderate risk of flooding according to the 2024 Seasonal Climate Prediction and Annual Flood Outlook.
“We must work together to safeguard communities at risk, protect critical infrastructure, and ensure the continuity of socio-economic activities in Anambra,” Umar stated. “In recent years, floods have caused the loss of lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure worth billions of Naira. The severe floods of 2012 and 2022 serve as a wake-up call, underscoring the necessity of early warnings.”
She stressed the importance of community participation in disaster management, urging public and private institutions, humanitarian organizations, and NGOs to leverage early warnings to bolster government efforts.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo, represented by his Deputy, Dr. Onyekachi Ibezim, acknowledged the state’s vulnerability to erosion and flooding, calling for federal intervention. “We appreciate NEMA for selecting Anambra for this year’s flood early warning sensitisation. The state government has begun infrastructural interventions such as expanding and desilting drains and directing them into streams. We are prepared to work with NEMA to minimize the annual flood impacts and protect lives and property,” Soludo said.
Igwe Pius Omachonu of Olumbanasa in Anambra West urged the government to focus on post-disaster support for survivors. “During the 2022 flood disaster, there was no follow-up support after leaving the displaced persons camps. We urge the government to prevent such neglect in the future,” he appealed.
Chief Paul Odenigbo, Executive Secretary of SEMA, identified Ayamelum, Anambra East, Anambra West, and Ogbaru as high-risk flood areas out of the ten identified local government areas. He advised residents near rivers and streams to relocate to higher ground at the first signs of rising water levels.
“The state government has increased awareness in flood-prone communities and activated 27 holding centers to accommodate those who might be displaced by the impending floods,” Odenigbo said.
The call to action from NEMA underscores the critical need for community involvement and preparedness to mitigate the devastating impacts of floods in Anambra State.
