Socioeconomic Challenges of Environmental Catastrophes: A Study of Annual Floods at Dura Flood Plain Along Gboko to Katsina-Ala Road, Buruku LGA, Benue State, Nigeria.

Abstract:

Comic articulations and the phenomenal configuration of relief features, as well as anthropogenic activities are progressively getting vast portions of the global landscape susceptible to flood events of varying catastrophic magnitudes. This paper using administered 150 structured questionnaires, field surveys, journal articles, conference papers and rainfall records, as bases for empirical analysis, traces the root causes of river related annual floods with focus on the River Dura flood plain along Gboko to Katsina-Ala road. The paper also examines the major socioeconomic challenges of the annual floods within the context of agricultural productivity, transportation and commercial activities, as well as income generation by the local inhabitants. The study also employed Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) to produce a map of the study locality, which captures the flood plain. Results from the study revealed that annual floods in the locality are largely due to heavy rainfalls of high frequency. The study further revealed that large-scale disruption of farmlands, crops, traffic flow along the federal highway and footpath are some of the major challenges associated with the annual floods. The study accordingly recommends the immediate extension of the bridge across River Dura, dredging of the river, construction of a dam and use of bio-techniques to boost the level of crop resistance against inundation to alleviate the adverse effects of the annual floods in the locality.