Nigeria and its institutions in charge of disaster risk reduction and management is participating in the United Nations conference and training programme, which begins this week in Geneva, Switzerland. Over the years, Switzerland has worn the toga of a global haven and capital for disaster and risk reduction strategy for policy makers, experts and the media.
The Director General of Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mohammed Sidi Sani is leading a formidable team of Nigerian policy makers and experts from the nation’s universities to the talks. NEMA and Nigerian experts are expected to let the world body know Nigeria's vulnerability to disasters and how the government is creating resilience in some affected communities, reduce risk of disaster as well as its management.
The management of disaster and the building of resilient communities in Nigeria is one of the key achievements of NEMA. Participants are expected from many countries in Africa, Europe, Asia and the United States. Experts in climate induced disasters and other forms of hazards such as fire, earthquakes, tsunamis are also expected at the conference.
It is expected that NEMA will brief the global body on many of its activities in Nigeria and the world in the area of Risk Reduction Strategies (RRS) especially other one it has put in place to help communities living not far away from Lake Nyos, a crater lake, which released poisonous gas from its bowels in Cameroon in 1986.
NEMA has installed an early warning system to protect the people around the Lake Nyos whose sudden release of about 1.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide that killed 1,700 people within 25 kilometers of the Lake. The disaster also killed 3,500 livestock. Saving people around the lake has been a priority of NEMA. The Agency's early warning equipment close to the lake is expected to warn people whenever disaster is about to occur. The system is made to sound an alarm to warn the communities to move before the release of poisonous gas or flooding from the lake. Apart from the toxic gas emission, experts also fear that the area "surrounding the lake shows traces of nearly vertical landslides and rock falls," adding that there are indications that landslides will occur at the section of the dam just east of the spill way."
It is feared that the "collapse of the dam would result into the release of water at an estimated peak discharge of 17,000 cubic meters per second into Kumbi River and would discharge into Katsina-Ala River in Benue State."
If this happens, experts hinted that "about 50 million cubic meters of water would flow down hill, flooding northwest province of Cameroon and six states in Nigeria — Taraba, Benue, Kogi, Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Cross River and Anambra. NEMA experts noted that effects of the massive floods would in a matter of minutes, submerge and sweep though River Katsina-Ala in Benue including Kassimbilla town in the Cameroons as it enters the Benue River and Makurdi, a hundred kilometers away. They noted that within few hours, it would be felt in Lokoja, Asaba and Onitsha.
In a related development, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) has issued a "2011 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction and Socio-economic implication for Nigeria." In the NIMET report, "above normal rainfall" was predicted in the country due to longer than normal rainy season and it could result in flash flooding over the extreme north, particularly to the northeast.
According to the report, "such excessive rainfall may lead to physical damage to crop in the field, and to agricultural equipment and structures such as dams, as well as physical damage to infrastructure; roads, railway lines, and telecommunication, network."
NIMET added that the "lower than normal temperature" predicated over most regions of the country during the dry season, makes the environment less susceptible to fire outbreak and it called on emergency management services to take advantages of these advisories and strengthen their preparedness. By the middle of this month, the World Meteorological Organisation will also hold a meeting in Geneva, to equally brainstorm on weather and climate related issues.
Dr. Anthony Anuforom, the Chief Executive Officer of NIMET and Nigeria's representative to WMO is to present Nigeria’s contributions to the world of meteorology at the event.