ABUJA FLOODING: IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT GREEN AREAS
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) had issued warnings of severe flooding and FCT was included among other states. Flood is a rise in the level of water above the permissible level. It could be flash flooding, river that is overflowing, coastal flooding, or urban activity induced flooding which can be caused by rainfall, overflow of rivers, storm, melting snow, or due to the nature of the terrain.
Flooding and infrastructure are related. Looking at the human causes, there are sentiments all over about this Abuja flooding but we should know that flooding is a natural phenomenon. Abuja is just 340 meters averagely above sea level whereas a larger part of Lagos is just five meters above sea level. So if water rises by say 30 meters the entire Lagos will be wiped out. For Abuja, for flood to occur, water has to rise above 340 meters, so there is no cause for alarm.
However, we should expect flooding from streams that are within the Federal Capital City (FCC), and we have streams criss-crossing Abuja. These streams are from rocks within the northern fringes of the city. From Asokoro there is rivulet passing through Gudu; in the eastern part there is another river that starts from the rocks of Mpape and passes through Maitama and through Wuse. All these rivulets are supplying that river crossing Sauka before the Airport through to Kuje and Gwagwalada.
