- The document summarizes an assessment of flooding that occurred along the Kaduna River in Kaduna, Nigeria from September 19-21, 2015. - Prolonged heavy rainfall caused the river to overflow its banks, flooding homes and infrastructure in traditionally flood-prone areas. - The flooding was exacerbated by development encroaching onto floodplains, sedimentation reducing reservoir and channel capacity, and lowered river banks from human activities. - Recommendations included raising awareness, desilting the river, flood-proofing infrastructure, and long-term measures like resettling floodplains and supporting non-residential uses.

1. AN ASSESSMENT OFTHE
19TH - 21ST SEPTEMBER 2015
KADUNA FLOOD
A PRESENTATION OF THE
NATIONAL WATER RESOURCES INSTITUTE
TO THE KADUNA STATE GOVERNMENT

2. INTRODUCTION
• Kaduna, a metropolitan City, former Capital of
Northern Nigeria; Capital of North Central State
and now the Capital of Kaduna State, is a City
that developed along the Kaduna RiverValley
• Over the years, the Kaduna River along with
climate, vegetation, geography, and topography
has shaped the development of the city and
inspired economic developments and social
integration through a continuous supply of
dependable flow of water for domestic,
agricultural, industrial, recreational, navigational
and waste disposal purposes.

3. • However, flooding an associated problem with
Cities along major river valleys, has become a
perennial occurrences in the City, especially
during the raining seasons, and most particularly
when the period of peak flows in the Kaduna
River corresponds to periods of prolonged rainfall
which normally occurs in August-September each
year
INTRODUCTION...

4. • Population growth, urbanization and expansion
of structural developments into traditional
floodplain areas of the Kaduna River are
increasing the flood risk factors.
• The attendant damages to socio-economic and
infrastructural systems and psychological
trauma effects on affected home owners and
residents along the floodplain calls for a more
pragmatic approach to flood and floodplain
management in the Kaduna City.
INTRODUCTION...

5. KADUNA FLOOD EVENTS
• Apart from annual flash floods, the Kaduna
City has experienced two major and
devastating floods in the last twelve (12) years
arising from Kaduna River overbank flows unto
its traditional floodplain areas within Kaduna
• On Friday 6 September 2003, Kaduna River
overflowed its banks spilling flood waters into
the adjoining properties along its floodplain
across Kaduna

6. KADUNA FLOOD EVENTS...
• Following heavy downpour of rainfall which
started on Saturday 19th and lasted till early
hours of Monday the 21st September 2015 ,
the Kaduna River overflowed its banks again
within the Kaduna metropolis and spilled
flood waters into adjoining properties along
its floodplain

7. • During these events water stages in the
channel and floodplain as well as damages to
properties along the floodplain were
unprecedented, lives were lost, dead bodies
were exhumed from grave yards, properties
worth millions of naira were destroyed while
thousands of people were rendered homeless
in the City by the ravaging flood which
brought the socio-economic activities in parts
of the city to standstill for three consecutive
days before the flood waters receded.
KADUNA FLOOD EVENTS...

8. Traditionally Flood Prone Communities
• Flooding affects generally parts of Rafin Guza,
Ungwan Rimi, Kabala Doki, Barnawa, Kigo
Road, Sardauna Crescent,Tudun-wada, Ungwan
Muazu, Nasarawa, Kabala West, Hayin Mallam
Dan Mani, and Kudenda areas in the Kaduna
North and Kaduna South LGAs
• Backflows from major tributaries flowing
through the metropolis and confluence with the
Kaduna River within the City are responsible for
flooding in areas like Kabala West,Tudun Wada,
Barnawa, Gonin Gora among others

9. METHODOLOGY
• As part of its mandates to conduct applied
research into water resources developments
as it may affects river regulations, flood and
erosion control, the NWRI decided to assess
the Kaduna 2015 Flood events and raised six
teams of eighteen engineers and scientists
to visit the Communities affected by the
flood

10. METHODOLOGY…
• The objectives of the assessment survey include,
among others, to:
a) Ascertain the remote and immediate causes of the flood
disaster;
b) Delineate the maximum shoreline or extent of the flood in all
the affected Communities which should be captured in GPS
and Camera;
c) Identify existing flood control measures (structural and non
structural) if any and assess their efficiencies;
d) Identify existing good and bad human practices relevant to
flood management;
e) Submit report of finding to NWRI management; and
f) Submit a Concept note on a comprehensive study of the
Impacts of Urban Development on the Kaduna River
floodplain and the dynamics of flooding.

11. S/N TEAM COVERAGE AREA
1 A Rafin Guza to Malali Eastern Bye-pass
Bridge BOTH BANKS
2 B Malali Eastern Bye-pass Bridge to Ibrahim
Yakowa Bridge BOTH BANKS
3 C IbrahimYakowa Bridge to Stadium Bridge
LEFT BANK
4 D IbrahimYakowa Bridge to Stadium Bridge
RIGHT BANK
5 E Stadium Bridge to Kudenda LEFT BANK
6 F Stadium Bridge to Kudenda RIGHT BANK
AssessmentTeams and their Coverage Areas for
the Kaduna 2015 Flooding Mapping are as follows:
METHODOLOGY…

12. FINDINGS
1. The flood was as a result of three (3) days prolonged
rainfall which started on Saturday 19th through Monday
21st September 2015
a) The perception of the affected Communities was that the
flood was a consequence of excess releases from
upstream dams whose operational capacities could not
cope with excessive inflows into their reservoir areas,
hence the spillway gates were opened
b) However, this is erroneous as all the dams upstream of
Kaduna City are with uncontrolled spillway, thus releases
from them are gradual but the fact remains that these
dams had retained lots of sediments within them and
may not be operating effectively in terms of storage of
flood waters

13. d) The study of the sedimentation in the Kangimi
reservoir by the NWRI revealed that the reservoir
capacity has lost 17.563MCM to sediment since
impoundment (NWRI, 2012)
e) Similar studies by Parkman Nigeria Limited in 2002
indicated that Zaria dam reservoir has also reduced in
capacity from the designed capacity of 15.91 MCM to
10.577 MCM since impoundment in 1971 (KSWB 2002)
f) All these and the recent loss of the Bagoma dam in
Birnin Gwari to sedimentation are pointers to the facts
that both river channels and constructed reservoirs in
the Kaduna basin are experiencing capacity losses and
can no longer function effectively to reduce flooding
FINDINGS…

14. 2. There is absolute disregards
for urban development codes
as they affect floodplains
developments. Agricultural,
infrastructural and residential
developments had encroached
into the floodplains in the
affected Communities as
closed as to the proximity of
the river banks
FINDINGS…

15. 3. In addition to channel siltation, anthropogenic activities
have also lowered the river bank elevations along several
sections of the river thus reduced the carrying capacities of
the river channel and its ability to contain the flood flows
FINDINGS…
574.00
576.00
578.00
580.00
582.00
584.00
586.00
588.00
590.00
592.00
0 500 1000 1500
Ground
Elevation
Above
Mean
Sea
Level
(m)
Distance From Extreme End of left Flood Plain (m)
Kaduna River Cross Section No 0037 Reach 2 (Kabala Doki /
Shooting Range)
Fence & Transformer
571.00
572.00
573.00
574.00
575.00
576.00
577.00
578.00
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Ground
Elevation
Above
Mean
Sea
Level
(m)
Distance From Extreme End of left Flood Plain (m)
Kaduna River Cross Section No 0018 Reach 2(Kigo Road
Extension)
Fence Living Faith Church
Stadium Fence

16. FLOOD WATER SHORELINES
RAFIN GUZA AND MALALI BRIDGE
4. The flood water shoreline extended beyond the limits
experienced during the 2003 flood and flood water
moved further uplands into areas it has never
traditionally flooded in history
FINDINGS…

17. FLOOD WATER SHORELINES MALALI
BRIDGE AND IBRAHIMYAKOWA BRIDGE
FINDINGS…

18. FLOOD WATER SHORELINES IBRAHIMYAKOWA BRIDGE
TO AHMADU BELLO STADIUM
FINDINGS…

19. FLOOD WATER SHORELINES AHMADU
BELLO STADIUM AND KUDENDA
FINDINGS…

20. DISTRUPTIONOF ACCESS ROADS DURINGTHE FLOOD
FLOODED HOMES DURINGTHE FLOOD
FINDINGS…

21. Kaduna South Waterworks Control Panel and Transformer indicating
the Submerged level during the flood
CGC Construction Company at
Nasarawa after the flood The Railway Bridge during the flood
5. The Kaduna North and SouthWaterworks were flooded;
vital documents were destroyed by the flood water in the
CGC Camp office at Nasarawa bridge; electricity
transformers were submerged; buildings were pulled down
under prolonged submergence in water.The Railway Bridge
was almost submerged .
FINDINGS…

22. OBSERVATIONS
a) Climate change in recent time is causing
unusually high rainfall pattern and distribution
across the globe.
b) Though the Nigerian Meteorological Services
Agency (NIMET) had been able to predict
accurately the occurrences of high rainfall before
hand but it is rather unfortunate that the nation is
always caught unprepared by floods;
c) Kaduna River flooding are the consequences of
the expansion of residential and infrastructural
developments on the traditional floodplain areas
of the Kaduna River valley.

23. d) The flooding is usually triggered when the period
of peak flows of the Kaduna River coincides with
prolonged rainfall which normally happens in
August and September each year (Alayande
2010);
e) Anthropogenic activities in the Kaduna River
Basin have also moved volumes of sediments into
the river channel raising the river channel bed
level which also lowered the river banks
elevations at several reaches within the
metropolis;
f) Refuse dumps in the river channel is a major bad
human activity that increase flood risk factors;
OBSERVATIONS…

24. g) Backflows at the confluences of major tributaries
of the Kaduna river were responsible for flooding
along these tributaries within the Kaduna City
particularly in KabalaWest and Barnawa among
others;
h) No flood control structure was observed during
the assessment survey; and
i) Communities worst affected are located along the
braided and major meander sections of the river
where the river had been forced to change course
due to anthropogenic activities particularly at Kigo
road and Kudenda.
OBSERVATIONS…

25. RECOMMENDATIONS
In order to address the flood problems holistically,
the following recommendations are put forward
for considerations:
On a short term, the Kaduna State Government
should:
1. Embark upon sensitization and advocacy
programmes to enlighten the people particularly
those already settled in the flood prone areas on
the danger of their present situations

26. RECOMMENDATIONS…
2. Train and de-silt the Kaduna River and its
tributaries within the metropolis to straighten out
all the meander sections and clear the pockets of
islands in the channel;
3. Embark upon flood proofing of infrastructural
facilities in the affected Communities such as
power transformers and control panels particularly
to avoid electrocution;
4. Raise some of the StateWater Board treatment
facilities above the 100year flood;

27. 5. Address the flood problem through detailed studies
and design of appropriate flood control and
management measures to:
 Modify human susceptibility to flood damage,
 Modify the impact of flooding on individuals and
the communities, and
 Modify flooding
as obtainable across the world in cities that
developed along major rivers such as the Nile (Cairo,
Egypt); Dresden (Germany);Thames ( London, UK);
Mississippi (USA); Garonne (France) among others.
RECOMMENDATIONS…

28. 6. Take advantage of the navigation and tourism
potentials of the Kaduna River channel as obtained
along the Nile in Cario, Egypt, where millions of
dollars are generated daily on the Nile cruise:
 Boating on the Kaduna River between Rafin
Guza and Kudenda could be a fascinating
experience and development of recreational
sites along the banks could be more rewarding
than annual flooding of the floodplain and
perpetual trauma experienced by the people;
RECOMMENDATIONS…

29. 7. Step up the monitoring of river flow and weather
parameters (hydrometeorological stations)
towards developing early flood warning
mechanism and emergency preparedness plans for
the City.This will save the government millions of
naira expended annually on mobilization of relief
materials in the event of flooding; and
8. Empower and encourage the inhabitants of the
floodplain to proactively develop adaptation
measures to cope with the flooding problems.
RECOMMENDATIONS…

30. On the long term, the government of Kaduna
State should:
1. Consider applications of a Redevelopment
Policy approach whereby the certificate of
occupancies of all properties under the risk of
50yr and 100yr recurrence interval floods are
revoked, properties acquired and removed from
the floodplain; and
2. Place the acquired floodplain under permanent
restrictions for residential development but re-
allocate to support tourism, agriculture,
fisheries, wild life and cattle grazing.
RECOMMENDATIONS…

31. The National Water Resources Institute is ready
to partner with Kaduna State Government:
a) In assessment studies and planning to bring
under control the menace of flooding along
Kaduna River; and
b) Harnessing the full potentials of the River
Valley.
CONCLUSION

32. MANYTHANKS FOR
YOUR ATTENTION