Natural disasters in Nigeria are mainly related to the climate of Nigeria, which has been reported to cause loss of lives and properties. A natural disaster might be caused by flooding, landslides, and insect infestation, among others. To be classified as a disaster, there is need to be a profound environmental effect or human loss which must lead to financial loss. This occurrence has become an issue of concern, threatening large populations living in diverse environments in recent years.
Nigeria has encountered several forms of disaster, which range from flooding, soil and coastal erosion, landslides, tidal waves, coastal erosion, sand-storms, oil spillage, locust/insect infestations, and other man-made disasters. It can be said that the country's under protected and expansive environment contributed to making the people especially vulnerable to these disasters. Other dangers include northern dust storms, which is usually from northern states to southern, causing damages through large deposits of dust and dirt from these regions. Hail is another cause, which rarely occurs in parts of Nigeria, leading to damage of crops and properties.
Types
Drought and desertification
Drought Drought stands as a significant contributor to desertification. The absence of a universally accepted, precise, and objective definition for drought has posed a substantial challenge in studying this phenomenon. It's crucial to recognize that differing definitions can yield distinct conclusions concerning drought. For instance, if the definition relies on rainfall levels, it's conceivable that when summarizing rainfall statistics over a calendar year, no drought may be apparent, even though moisture supply during the growing season may indicate otherwise. In the context of food security, drought can be defined as a naturally occurring phenomenon, often exacerbated by human activities, which persists over a specific period in a particular region, leading to a substantial drop in precipitation levels, resulting in land degradation and significantly reduced agricultural yields. However, it's important to emphasize that due to drought's multifaceted impact on various societal sectors, the need for multiple definitions exists. Factors such as the specific problem being investigated, data availability, and climatic and regional characteristics play a role in determining the appropriate definition for an event. Natural disasters like floods and droughts have a devastating effect on food production, storage, nutrition, and quality in countries with poor incomes.
Research characterized drought as a situation marked by insufficient water availability.A.F. Van Loon, G. Laaha. Hydrological drought severity explained by climate and catchment characteristics. J. Hydrol., 19 (2014), pp. 1-12 Many researchers offer context-specific definitions of drought. Another author described drought as prolonged deficiencies in both surface and sub-surface water, which disrupt the normal functioning of natural ecosystems.A. Yaduvanshi, K.S. Prashant, A.C. Pandey. Integrating TRMM and MODIS satellite with socio-economic vulnerability for monitoring drought risk over a tropical region of India. Phys. Chem. Earth, 6 (2015), pp. 8-22 Notably, these definitions did not emphasize the shortage of precipitation, moisture content, or water demand; instead, they focused on deficits in surface water (such as streamflow) and groundwater. It is this sustained insufficiency of water that leads to drought. The primary factor responsible for drought is inadequate precipitation, with the severity influenced by factors like timing, distribution, and the intensity of rainfall.
In recent years, droughts have resulted in a greater number of environmental refugees than any other period in human history and have caused more deaths than any other natural disaster in the latter half of the 20th century.S.M. Vicente-Serrano, S. Beguería, L. Gimeno, L. Eklundh, G. Giuliani, D. Weston, A. El Kenawy, J.I. López-Moreno, R. Nieto, T. Ayenew, D. Konte. Challenges for drought mitigation in Africa: the potential use of geospatial data and drought information systems. Appl. Geogr., 34 (2012), pp. 471-486
Socio-economic activities and environmental degradation can occur concurrently. For instance, over-exploitation of natural resources may be a coping strategy in response to extreme climate events.B. Shiferaw, T. Kindie, K. Menale, A. Tsedeke, B.M. Prasanna, M. Abebe. Managing vulnerability to drought and enhancing livelihood resilience in sub-Saharan Africa: technological, institutional and policy options. Weather and Climate Extremes, 3 (2014), pp. 67-79 Drought has profoundly impacted the social lives of farmers in semi-arid Bangladesh, where farmers perceive an increase in drought frequency due to climate change.U. Habiba, S. Rajib, Y. Takeuchi. Farmer's perception and adaptation practices to cope with drought: perspectives from northwestern Bangladesh. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 1 (2012), pp. 72-84 However, the perception of climate change among rural farmers is influenced by factors such as their level of education, means of livelihood, and geographic location.C.T. West, C. Roncoli, F. Ouattara. Local perceptions and regional climate trends on the Central Plateau of Burkina Faso. Land Degrad. Dev., 19 (3) (2008), pp. 289-304
Drought can be categorized and defined using several criteria, including meteorological, agricultural, hydrological, and socio-economic aspects.
Meteorological drought: This type of drought occurs when the level of precipitation falls below the long-term normal recorded levels. It is primarily related to deviations from expected rainfall patterns. Agricultural drought: Agricultural drought arises when the soil moisture content is insufficient to satisfy the requirements of crops during a specific period. This directly impacts agricultural productivity. Hydrological drought: Hydrological drought is characterized by a shortage of water supply due to the reduction or absence of both surface and subsurface water sources. It pertains to imbalances in the availability of water resources. Socio-economic drought: This form of drought is linked to human activities and occurs when various human endeavors are hindered due to reduced precipitation or water availability. It has social and economic implications.
In essence, drought typically results from inadequate seasonal precipitation, an extended dry season, or a sequence of below-average rainy periods.Sheikh BA, Soomro GH (2006). Desertification: Causes, Consequences and Remedies. Pak. J. Agric. Agric. Eng. Vet. Sci. 22(1): 44-51. The defining feature of drought is a substantial reduction in water availability within a particular timeframe and geographic area. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) (1994) characterizes drought as a naturally occurring phenomenon that emerges when precipitation significantly falls below the recorded normal levels, causing significant hydrological imbalances that adversely impact land resource systems. Continued land mismanagement during drought exacerbates land degradation. Insufficient rainfall and prolonged periods of low water flow can have severe consequences for water management and utilization, affecting various aspects such as river pollution, ecological considerations, reservoir planning and operation, irrigation, small-scale power generation, and drinking water supply. The demand for water is particularly critical during severe and widespread drought episodes in the future.
Impact of drought in Nigeria Drought has been a persistent issue in West Africa for numerous decades, but it didn't garner significant attention until the occurrence of the severe Sahelian droughts during the 1970s.H.G. Abdullahi, M.A. Fullen, D. Oloke. Socio-economic effects of drought in the semi-arid Sahel: a review International Journal of Advances in Science Engineering and Technology, 1 (2016), pp. 95-99 In recent years, the documentation of drought has been inadequate, and the consequences are becoming more pronounced in terms of both scale and complexity. The regions most severely affected by drought and desertification are concentrated in the northeastern part of Nigeria.T.E. Olagunju. Drought, desertification and the Nigerian environment: a review. J. Ecol. Nat. Environ., 7 (7) (2015), pp. 196-209E. Elijah, M. Ikusemoran, K.J. Nyanganji, H.U. Mshelia. Detecting and monitoring desertification indicators in Yobe State, Nigeria. Journal of Environmental issues and Agriculture in Developing Countries, 9 (1) (2017), pp. 22-34 Rain-fed agriculture serves as the primary source of food production and livelihood for many impoverished rural farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria.P.J.M. Cooper, J. Dimes, K.P.C. Rao, B. Shapiro, S. Twolmlow Coping better with current climatic variability in the rain-fed farming systems of sub-Saharan Africa: an essential first step in adapting to future climate change? Agric. Ecosyst. Environ., 126 (1–2) (2008), pp. 24-35 In the Manga Grasslands of northeastern Nigeria, subsistence farmers primarily rely on agriculture for their sustenance and have been grappling with recurrent droughts since the 1970s.A.B. Alhassan, R.C. Carter, I. Audu Agriculture in the oasis of the Manga Grasslands of semi-arid north-east Nigeria: how sustainable is it? Outlook Agric., 32 (3) (2003), pp. 191-195 The frequent occurrence of drought has also presented formidable challenges to traditional farming systems in northeastern Nigeria, where the predominant economic activities revolve around subsistence farming and nomadic livestock herding.
The Sahel region was profoundly affected by severe drought during the 1970s, resulting in widespread famine and leaving millions of people in a state of starvation.M. Mortimore Adapting to Drought: Farmers, Famine and Desertification in West Africa Cambridge University Press (1989) These drought episodes persisted for approximately five to six years, affecting millions of individuals in northern Nigeria. The consequences of these episodes were dire, leading to famine and the displacement of millions of people, effectively creating environmental refugees. Various Sahelian nations, including Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, and Niger Republic, garnered substantial international attention and support in response to these crises. Notably, the number of people affected in northern Nigeria surpassed the combined impact on the other Sahelian countries. The relatively limited international media coverage can be attributed to Nigeria's economic stability, largely due to its national oil wealth. The northern Nigerian states that were severely impacted by the 1970s droughts are those adjacent to Niger Republic. Agriculture, which contributes 18.4% to the national GDP in Nigeria, witnessed a sharp decline following the 1970s droughts, plummeting to a mere 7.3% of GDP. Consequently, many Nigerians in the northern region fell into dire poverty and experienced acute food shortages.I.U. Abubakar, M.A. Yamusa Recurrence of drought in Nigeria: causes, effects and mitigation Int. J. Agric. Food Sci. Technol., 4 (3) (2013), pp. 169-180
Droughts are common in Nigeria, especially in the northern and central parts of the country, where the climate is semi-arid or arid. Some of the severe droughts that have affected Nigeria include:
The 1913–1914 drought that caused famine and starvation in northern Nigeria. The 1942–1944 drought that affected most parts of Nigeria and caused food shortages and malnutrition.