All around the world, issues relating to climate change has led to flooding whose devastating effect has been felt by a large population of people. The destruction caused by the climate change is not particularly felt in only the underdeveloping and developing countries but is even the new normal in the acclaimed industrially developed regions/countries of the world.
For those, who are specialists in the issue of the environment, the climate change issue that is prevalent around the world should not come as a surprise being that they had advanced knowledge of it. In recent times, hundreds of people have died in floods around the world as schools closed, flights cancelled, and mandatory evacuations ordered.
Let's have a look at a few samples of news reports around the world relating to this issue of climate change which has led to flooding, causing monumental destruction.
1. Thousands of people have evacuated their homes in southern Germany after heavy rain caused multiple rivers to break their banks. At least two people have died and another is reported missing. Officials said the flooding is likely to continue for the next few days.
2. More than two dozen people were killed by heavy rains and flooding in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state this week that also displaced roughly 10,000 people, almost half of which are living in shelters after their homes were destroyed or damaged.
Eduardo Leite, the governor of the state that is home to more than 10 million people, said Thursday that the death toll is expected to rise and called the floods "the biggest climate disaster our state has ever faced".
3. The President of Kenya on Friday postponed a planned reopening of local schools until further notice, the Associated Press reported, as the country grapples with ongoing flooding that has drowned the area since March, killing more than 200 people and displacing another 190,000. At least 48 people were killed Monday when water broke through a river tunnel under a rail line in Kenya, causing a flash flood, and meteorologists have warned a cyclone is likely to hit Kenya and Tanzania on Friday that could bring more rain to the nations that have a combined estimated death toll of more than 400.
4. In Dubai, residents are still grappling with record-setting rainfall (more rain fell in 12 hours than usually falls in the months of April and May combined) that caused damaging floods in several parts of the United Arab Emirates and Oman two weeks ago--flights out of Dubai were delayed and cancelled on Thursday as more rain fell. At least four people were killed in the floods in the UAE and another 19 died in Oman, including 10 children who were killed when their school bus was swept away, CNN reported.
5. Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for the Houston-area Harris County in Texas on Thursday after heavy rain caused flooding and Lake Conroe was pushed past record-breaking water levels last seen during Hurricane Harvey in 2017--a local judge has declared a state of emergency for the county as more extraordinary rain storms are expected Friday evening.
Coming home to Nigeria, reports of flooding causing havoc in all parts of the country has been in the public space. Those who make a special case of concentrating on making mockery of themselves by blaming the Edo State Government on the issue of flooding around the state are only intent on scoring cheap political points. They should take note that they won't go far in this game of blackmail all tailored towards gaining an advantage which they don't deserve in the forthcoming gubernatorial election.
The score card of the Edo State Government in the area of road construction/rehabilitation/desiltation in all parts of the state is there for all to assess. No charlatan will fool the people of the state with theaterics display. To address some of these global challenges which has also spread down to Benin City in Edo State, the state government through the Ministry of Roads and Bridges has embarked on desiltation and maintenance of flood water receptacles (drains and manholes).
One of such intervention is the water reinjection schemes at the Legislative Quarters, Boundary Road right around Adesuwa Road Junction and the ones situated at Ihama. They are presently under desiltation and maintenance to enable it take water back into the earth. The water receptacles are bodies which are built up/man made or natural that are made to accommodate flood water through channels such as drain culverts to avoid erosion and incessant flooding.
These water receptacles can be natural such as moats, rivers etc. It can also be man-made which may be retention and detention ponds, water reinjection schemes etc. These water receptacles work in tandem and interchangeably with respect to proximity and functionality. Amongst the stated man-made bodies is the water re-injection scheme, which may be colloquially also known as the "back-to-earth system". Its system's technique is having a built-up section which entails multiple ducted piped membranes made to receive flood water for percolation back to the aquifer(sink) from its source (casing) in line with the water cycle mechanism.
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At the moment, work is ongoing and some are yet to commence due to the continual rainfall on the maintenance and rehabilitation of the flood water re-injection scheme at Boundary Road, the Legislative Quarters and the Military Base at Ihama Road. Some of the roads and drains in Benin City where desiltation and maintenance are ongoing include College Road and environ in Aduwawa; Ehondor and Iyekemosa Road; Sapele Road from Murtala Mohammed Way to Pan Ocean; Okhoro Road from New Lagos Road to Ikpoba River and TV Road from Siluko Road to Five Junction.
* Mr. Ogunro is the President, The Conscious Watchmen (TCW)
