Flood Mapping of Fadama Areas in Ile Ife, Nigeria Using Geospatial Techniques

Abstract

Flooding is a serious, common, and costly hazard that many countries face regularly, therefore a global concern. Vulnerability to flood hazards is likely to increase unless effective flood mitigation and management activities are implemented. Flooding is one of the most common environmental issues in the southern and the eastern part of Nigeria alongside with deforestation and erosion. There is need to have information on flood risk and basis for priority setting on political decision on risk mitigation and management of fadama farmers in the study area and since there is lack of information on these, hence the study. The study mapped out fadama areas in the study area (Ife East and Ife Central), identified areas susceptible to flooding, studied the effect of flooding on fadama production in terms of economic and social implication and examined the mitigating efforts of farmers. Eleven Fadama points were mapped out and almost all are in the low elevation (3.5–7.1% slope) which made them prone to/or at risk of flooding during high peak of rainy season. Majority of the fadama farmers have a means of militating against flood by dredging the water ways but no government intervention has been done to assist them. All Fadama farmers are literate, therefore any assistance by the government would be embraced and not misunderstood.