Challenges of Resettlement of Flooding Prone Communities in Abuja Nigeria

Abstract

Flooding is a natural disaster that causes great damage and destruction to life and property; besides the physical consequences and casualties, these events lead to disruption in the activities of the affected communities and the need for resettlement. Often the settlement of these Disaster-prone communities involves considerable challenges. The study was aimed at evaluating the effects of flooding, as well as challenges of resettlement of Lugbe community of Abuja Nigeria which is a flood disaster prone community. A total of 65 questionnaires were used to collect data of respondents and agencies/stakeholders responsible for resettlement. The data was analysed using relative important index (RII) technique because of its advantage of prioritising the variables on their perceived impact. After the data was analysed, the result revealed that Disruption of economic activities and Lack of social services were the most significant effects to resettlement while inadequate resettlement planning and improper financial analysis were the most significant challenges to resettlement. This study is limited to Lugbe community due to inadequacy of funds and security challenges. The implication of this study is to understand the difficulties and obstacles faced in relocating communities that are vulnerable to flooding. Government should therefore set a clear and standardized policy for resettlement of disaster-prone communities. Further study can be carried out on investigating the long term socio-economic and environmental impact of resettlement.