The socioeconomic impact of gully erosion on Rafin Gora community, Kontagora Local Government Area, Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the socioeconomic impact of gully erosion on Rafi Gora Community of Kontagora Local Government Area, Niger State, Nigeria. The study used both primary and secondary data, frequency percentage statistics was used to analyzed the data. As revealed in the study rainfall/runoff ranked the highest with 47.0%, inadequate drainage system ranked second with 36.0%, human activities ranked third with 17.0% and vegetal depletion ranked the least with 4.0%. This shows that the major cause of gully erosion in the study area were rainfall/runoff and inadequate drainage system. damage to infrastructure ranked the highest with 42.7%, Damage to agricultural lands ranked second with 32.2%, increased surface runoff and degradation ranked third with 15.7% and increased sediment concentration in rivers/stream ranked the least with 9.4%. This shows that the major impact of gully erosion is damage to infrastructure such as houses, roads and bridges as revealed in the study. The social impact of gully erosion in the study area include destruction of ancestral homeland by gully erosion, loss of source of water supply, gully site frightful and loss of lives while the economic impact include loss of building and furniture, loss of farmland, loss of planted crops, loss of economic trees and lost money as a result of community contribution to gully erosion as indicated in the study. The study recommends that drainages along these paved roads should be cleared sand dislodged of accumulated debris and silt to enhance free flow of storm water and debris from inhabitants. In addition, areas that have no drainages, drainage system should be constructed with width and depth according to the standard to enable it carry debris and sediment loads, this will help to forestall flood in this area during wet season, it is strongly suggested that, there should be strict compliance with building regulations by the community and proper canalization of the River Suka from its source to a single outflow.