Assessing Community Perception and Attitude towards Flooding in the Lower Benue River Basin, Nigeria

Abstract

In the Lower Benue River Basin, the majority of the population derives their livelihood from subsistent farming and fishing. With climate change expected to result in increased flooding, the impacts on these poor rural farmers will be significant and since adaptation is not cheap, prioritizing responses by sectors becomes essential. Such an analysis can bring to the fore the sectors that are most affected and by implication sectors of importance to the community. Two communities: Wadata and Anyim were selected for survey. Health, housing, agriculture, economic activities, transportation and water are the sectors evaluated. Results reveal agriculture; housing; and economic activities as the worst affected sectors. In furtherance, we argue that prioritization of adaptation by sectors can provide immediate relief for victims. Vulnerability in the region is exacerbated by 'late' and 'historic incorrect' environmental change communication. Household insurance is non-existent and somewhat non-customary thus, financial adjustments are presumably made with household savings or assets disposal.