Influence of Community Resilience to Flood Risk and Coping Strategies in Bayelsa State, Southern Nigeria

This study is aimed at assessing the influence of community resilience to flood risk and coping strategies in Bayelsa State, Southern Nigeria. 1505 copies of administrative questionnaires were distributed to obtain information concerning the perception of flood vulnerability and resilience in carefully chosen communities applying stratified and random sampling techniques. However, 1265 questionnaires were repossessed for further analysis and the results indicated that incident of flooding in Bayelsa is seemly a recurring problem occurring yearly with loss of numerous lives and properties. The predominant coping strategies are sandbag dykes’ construction, channel/drainage building, opening/maintenance of clogged drains/channels, land reclamation, elevating buildings floor beyond water level, relocation, and elevation of belongings from ground floor. This study also revealed that 43 (11.05%) communities recorded low flood vulnerability levels, about 287 (73.78%) communities had moderate vulnerability features whereas 59 (15.17%) communities indicated high vulnerability to floods in the State. The study concluded that greater portion of Bayelsa State were vulnerable to flooding. Encouragement of periodic flood assessment studies as well as provision of adequate preparedness plan to surmount future occurrence of flood disaster in communities that are highly and moderately vulnerable to floods is recommended. Timely intervention by government agencies to assist flood victims in the State is necessary.

Resilience; Flood risk; Vulnerability; Coping strategies; Bayelsa state