INVESTIGATING THE TRIGGERS OF HOUSEHOLD PREPAREDNESS TO FLOOD HAZARD IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Floods have become more frequent in Nigeria as a result of climate change and severe rainfall events. In response to this growing issue, various measures have been taken by the government and stakeholders to address flood impacts and mitigation. However, public perception of flooding risks and household preparedness to flood hazard have been poorly addressed. This paper aims to discuss household preparedness to flood hazard in Nigeria and provide researchers with relevant information and gaps to fill for further research. The lack of preparedness, poor budgetary allocation for disaster prevention, and low risk awareness hinder effective responses in case of a natural disaster. Although hazards such as floods cannot be prevented, household preparedness can mitigate the vulnerabilities associated with flood disasters. As such, the paper recommends a holistic adoption of disaster risk reduction strategies at state and community levels. Finally, the paper concludes that additional research is needed to investigate the problems of household preparedness to flood hazard, as current data is incomplete and unsatisfactory.