ABSTRACT
The research on the impacts of flooding on the socio-economic activities in Benin City, provides an appraisal on factors that could enunciate the condition of flooding as well as the socioeconomic implications that could result from the aftermath of such natural hazard like flooding. Research survey method which has to do with the use of questionnaire was adopted to elicit information on the subject of the research. The objectives of the research were to, examine the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents: examine the human and natural causes of flooding in the study area: assess the impact of flood on socio-economic activities of the respondents: examine the coping strategies of the respondents to flood condition in the study area. the research shows larger percentage of the female respondents to male (32%), as more female (68%) tends to be more involved trading activities. This is observed in general street trading the cut across major arterial and local roads. The age composition of the respondents were found to lie within the active population age group of which majority of them were found to be single and of secondary education. It was observed that the occupational status of the respondents ranged between, trading, farming, artisan, civil servants. The natural causes of the flooding were adduced to the physiographic characteristics of the area of which majority of the respondents acknowledged to area of flatland. Thus, the undulating nature of the area tends to give credence to easy flow of water from the adjoining area higher elevation area, thereby making the lowland and flatland area to be subjected to flood pondages. Thus, in this flood prone area it was observed that majority of the respondents have stayed d in the area 14-20 years. Therefore, in testing the stated hypothesis 1, using Kendall coefficient of concordance, significant level of agreement (N=299, df (6) =901.388, P< 0.05.) was observed among the respondents on the most common causes of flooding in the area of study. Hence, drainage problem followed by blocking of water flow path by building, indiscriminate dumping of refuse among were observed to be among the most common human causes of flooding in the area of study. Obviously, larger percentage of the respondents in Egor, Oredo, Ovia north east, Uhunmwode and Ikpoba-Okha local government areas acknowledged the problem of flooding in their locality. Moreso, Kruskal Wallis test was carried to ascertain variation on the indicators of socio-economic activities due to the impact of flooding in the study area. The result shows significant variation(N=308), df (7) =1537.77, P<0.05). in view of the mean rank disruption of business, blocking of access roads, reduction of business income was rated highest among other variables. Thus, majority of the respondents estimated income lost to m flooding to range between les than 50,000 to 100,000 naira from their business. Basically, in coping with the problem of flooding in the locality. Subsequently, in coping with the problem of flooding, clearing of gutters was acknowledged 99%, building perimeter fence was accorded 91.9%, construction of drainage system 84.6%. creation of gutters, sinkhole, and construction of roads were acknowledge the best possible suggestions to flood situation in the area. while communities were acknowledged to have responded by grading of roads, sand filling, desilting of roads with gutters. While local government was acknowledged to have responded by grading of road. On the part of state government, the people acknowledged putting palliative measure in place, decking of roads was well as desilting of gutters, grading as way the state government have responded to the problem of flooding in the area. also, the non-government was acknowledged to respond by landfilling and grading of roads.
