Flooding has been the most frequent natural disaster in Africa in the last decade. Between 2000 – 2019, flooding accounted for 64% of natural disasters; followed by storms at 15%. [1] In 2020 alone, flooding events affected about 2.7 million people across 18 West and Central African countries. [2]
In the past 10 years, Nigeria has recorded 15% of Africa’s deaths by flooding, and 21% of flooding-related property damage in Africa.[3] During this time, there have been three significant flooding events. The flooding event in 2012 affected 30 of Nigeria’s 36 states, recording 363 deaths, displacing 2.1 million people, and destroying an estimated 152,575 hectares (377,020 acres) of farmland. [4] Six years later, a more devastating flooding disaster occurred which affected 34 states; causing 200 deaths, 600,000 displaced people, and 150,000 hectares of inundated farmlands. [5] However, the ongoing flooding event has had the most devastating impacts. Recent reports indicate over 600 deaths, 1.4 million people have been displaced, and 332,327 hectares of land impacted, with a total of 33 affected states. [6]
Scientists have established that climate change is the leading cause of this flooding. Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, but since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, [7] primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas), which produce greenhouse gases, which trap heat within the earth’s atmosphere, making the planet warmer. [8] A warmer atmosphere affects the Earth’s water cycle because warmer air holds more water vapour. The air’s capacity to hold water vapour increases by 7 per cent with an increase in temperature of 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit). [9] This amplifies extreme precipitation and leads to heavy rainfall and flooding.
Experts warn that more extreme flooding should be expected, and cities where flooding events have already occurred, face an increased risk without decarbonisation efforts. [10]
Olam, a leading agricultural company in Nigeria, recently accounted for an estimated loss of $15 million worth of damaged crops, $8 million worth of damaged infrastructures, and 4,500 submerged hectares of rice farmland in Nasarawa State due to the current flood crisis in Nigeria. [11]There is an increasing risk to businesses as a result of climate change. Extreme flooding events adversely affect the production and sales of goods and services, impacting profitability, investments and security. As economic growth and environmental & social sustainability are core pillars of value creation for the private sector, increased efforts towards climate-related risk management are imminent.
As a powerhouse for innovation, there is an increasing urgency for Nigerian private sector actors to integrate robust risk management strategies and systems to minimize the negative impacts of climate change on business activity. Businesses now need to prioritise understanding the immediate impacts of acute climate-related physical risks such as floods, droughts and extreme weather events on their economic and social assets and infrastructure. Also, devising flood adaptation solutions to meet the demands of the current flooding disaster and a long-term approach to developing carbon efficient strategies needed to reduce and eventually eradicate carbon emissions in business activity are some of the long-term steps that may be taken to better insure sustainable business.
A healthy natural environment is essential for the continuity of businesses. The private sector occupies a strong position to lead the fight against climate change in coalition with the public sector and the third sector.
About the Author
Olayide Oyeleke is a research associate at The AR Initiative.
