Environmentalist urges FG to equip communities for flood management

Environmentalist urges FG to equip communities for flood management

An environmentalist, Mr John Ekoko, on Monday urged the Federal Government to equip communities in the management of flood in the affected areas.

Ekoko, a former Chairman, Nigerian Environmental Society, Lagos Island Chapter (NESLIC), gave this advice in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.

According to him, there is the need to empower the communities in those flood areas to check flood problems in the country.

”We cannot rule out the natural aspect of flooding. What we are concerned with is the aspect we can control ourselves which the government is not doing.

”There are enough notices warning of devastating flooding this rainy season and nothing was done as palliative measures.

”The communities need to be fully involved in tackling the flood issue.

“The communities need to know the type of habitat they will construct that will stand the effect of flooding.

”The communities need to be educated on the best environmental practices that will reduce flooding in their areas,” he said.

Ekoko said the government should look at the waterways and find effective means to direct water to those areas.

He also said that it was the responsibility of  the various tiers of government to check settlement patterns around their jurisdiction.

According to him, there are lots of unplanned settlements around and within the urban centres.

”There should be a resettlement plan that would address the issue of irregular settlement pattern.

”This will take care of, as well as help address the unregulated settlements around us,” he said.

Ekoko said that it was always good to contain flooding than allowing it to become a national disaster.