Flooding and its effects on WASH in Nigeria

Lizzy Achuagu, Chair, Enugu State Water and Sanitation Media Network, Nigeria examines the challenges  flooded communities and marginalized groups  in accessing safe WASH service in Nigeria.

Flood is  a large amount of water covering an area that is usually dry. It could be caused as a result of heavy rainfall or over flowing of a

Flood victims in a camp, Anambra state, Nigeria

river. Flooding is a disaster and should be curbed to avoid being inimical to lives.

Flood could cause so many negative things which among them are encroaching the area meant for farmlands. It could also cause erosion which may lead to earth-quake, inability to access good water, and sometimes it may affect land quality. Flooding is an unpleasant situation which has affected the lives of people and natural endowments.

In some of our communities, flooding is one of the natural disasters we face as a challenge.. Flooding as increased the cost of access to safe water as people have no option than to boil it whenever it is needed.

Flooding has reduced the communities to buying kerosene whenever water is to be used. During the rainy seasons most of rivers are overflown.

Some of our rural areas have no purified water owing to flooding and its causes. Without water, there would be unhealthy living, and everywhere around the community would be unpleasant.

 

Flooding has also affected the source of some of our communities’ ground water. In some of our communities the water there could be good for drinking but due to flooding it cannot be used for drinking water.

It is estimated that ground water flooding affects a few hundred thousand properties in some of our communities. Ground water flooding occurs as a result of water rising up from the underlying rocks or from water flowing from abnormal springs. This tends to occur after much longer period of sustained high rainfall. Higher rainfall means more water will infiltrate into the ground and cause the water table to rise above normal levels.

The precautions that can be taken by individuals to protect against ground water flooding are limited. Ground water flooding is often more difficult to prevent than surface water flooding; it’s not as simple as building flood defense to prevent river water spilling over its banks.

There are some areas where ground water flooding has been dealt with by installing pumps to remove ground water and so lower the water table but these only have a localized effect, and there is still the problem of having somewhere to discharge the water so that the communities will live happily.

However, in the last three weeks, Nigeria has been facing an unprecedented flood disaster resulting in loss of lives and properties running into billions of Naira.

In Anambra State, South East Nigeria heavy flooding has submerged several communities and about eight local governments were affected, but the worse hit is Ogbaru Anyamulum Anam, among others

These displaced   persons run into thousands of homes, loss all they had, including farmland, and productivity estimated at billions of Naira.

Speaking with one of the victims Mr. Rapheal Oduobara from Ogbaru local Government Area, said he lost everything he had but thank God for his life and the life of his people.

According to him, there are minimal loss of lives because of the early warning and proactive intervention of the state government.

He said that the state government is assisting the affected communities. Adding that churches, Non Governmental Organisations  and spirited individuals are also rendering affected people.

On how the flood affects access to their drinking water, sanitation and hygine. Mr. Oduobara said the flood cover their entire stream and the other sources of water.  According to him, “we now rely on pure water donated by good spirited individuals, NGOs and state government and we are not even sure of regaining our source of water when we get back. “

About their personal hygiene he said “you don’t talk of neatness when you are in the jungle, you are in  another man’ s land. You will soon ask me, about toilet”, he said.

Mr. Oduobara also lamented that there is no way government can provide latrine under this emergency situation so we go to bush.

In his contribution, a mother of five, Mrs. Florence Okeke said that as refugees they are not expected to be comfortable because their problem is not man made but natural disaster stressing that some of them who stays in school premises go to toilet in a nearby bush.

Flooding in Anambra state, Nigeria

Whether   they wash their hands after going to toilet? She said “no water for that. Pure water is for drinking not for washing  of hands.”

Need for Inclusive WASH in Nigeria

One of the world’s poorest groups in the society is disabled people and their inability to access basic services and facilities,  such as sanitation and safe water can result in poor health and poverty.

Often, special adaptations are not incorporated into the enabling design of sanitation and water facilities in this country.

For instance, if a community digs a bore hole without considering the disabled groups, they may not have access to that safe drinking water in their own community.

We should not exclude our bothers, sisters and children from having access to WASH because of disability.

As many as 20% of the poorest of the poor are disabled and people with different types of disabilities, experiences different challenges and discrimination in accessing WASH .

This group of people needs a well designed toilets        we cannot talk of marginalized groups without mentioning women and children who constitute about 70% of the population , they are often poorer than men.  Poor hygiene has a serious impact on women reproductive health and lack  of  WASH facilities affects women’s dignity, safety privacy and girl’s access  to education.

Children especially girls are often burden by WASH task and miss out of school many girls do not go to school when they are menstruating because their WASH needs are not met.

There is also need for the establishment of WASH in schools. The demand creation and provision of safe water and sanitation facilities in schools should be the first step towards a healthy physical learning environment.

In schools, hygienic education should be aimed at promoting practices that would help to prevent water and sanitation related disease. It also leads to   healthy behavior in future generation of Adults.

Another group that is being marginalized in the society is the older people.  This group is often among the poorest. They are likely to be affected by chronic illness  and disability and it is often a barrier for them to access water and  sanitation, so there is still need for service providers to remember and cater for them.

However, those living with HIV/AIDS are also  being discriminated against by the society for the fact that those living with HIV/AIDS need access to adequate safe water supply to prevent opportunistic infections.

The provision of the water and sanitation services needs to be accelerated urgently together with sustainable operation and maintenance because meaningful hygienic education and use of facilities by all will lead to healthy living.

Therefore, toilets and basic hygienic facilities can scientifically improve the quality of life and survival rates of people suffering from major disease like disability, HIV/AIDS as will as making it easier for those who care for them.

Federal and State Government should apply equity and inclusion in designing water; sanitation and hygiene  (WASH) programmers.

Many schools especially in the southern part of Nigeria have poor hygiene conditions or do not have water, sanitation and hand washing facilities in their respective schools.

Children have a right to basic facilities such as school toilets, safe drinking water, clean surroundings and information on hygiene. If these conditions are met children will learn better.

In Enugu State almost all the primary schools have no access to sanitation because without water, sanitation is not complete.

In an interview with primary five pupil schooling at the central school at the Central school Obinagu in Udi LGA of Enugu State Master Nnamdi  Ene said they use to hear water , water everywhere but  no water drink.
According to Master Ene, “in my school we don’t have tap water or safe drinking  water as you said but our teacher use to tell us to bring water while coming to school.”.

He explained that water could be as drinking water or they use it to mix charcoal for cleaning the blackboard.

Master Ene further said that there is pit toilet in the school but after using it, there is no water or soap to wash your hand stressing that if you still have water in your small can which you came to school with you can, wash your hand in school if not it will be at home after school

He said that their teacher thought them to always wash their hands when they go to toilet, after playing but since there is no water to do the washing of hands nobody cares.

Master Ene said that schools in the rural areas suffer more than those in the urban, pointing out that  those in the urban school may have water system type of latrine while those in rural have pit toilet because they have not seen water  to drink talking of flushing of toilet.

 

 

 

In Abakpa Nike Housing Estate Primary school story is the same, according to Miss Chika Okafor a primary six, student, there is no functional water point in the premise but  nearby yards they have well water.

 

On how the school is coping with sanitation, Miss Okafor explained that during sanitation or cleans up as they use to call it everybody will come including teachers who supervise the exercise, the pupil will sweep the surroundings and gather all the refuse to dump site infront of the school.

 

The story is published under the pro poor WASH stories project implemented by the Water and Sanitation Media Network Nigeria, with the support of West Africa WASH Media Network, WaterAid, and Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council.

We are dying of water borne diseases : residents of Ikola-Ilumo and Iju communities cry out

Dayo Emmanuel recently visited Ikola-Ilumo and Iju aga,  two communities in peri urban area of Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria; and brought tales of woes from residents over high cost of water supply coupled with lack of access to safe supplies

By  Dayo Emmanuel

Ikola-ilumo community

Ikola-ilumo community in Agbado /Oke Odo Local Council Development Area of Lagos State is among the rural communities springing up in the suburb of Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre.

Inhabited mainly by low income people and artisans, residents in the community however face the obvious challenges experienced by new and growing communities in the country. Plastered bungalows and other uncompleted buildings are prominent in the community which is home to people who have found cheaper accommodation in the peri urban settlement.

A cholera victim in Nigeria

With the recent establishment of a Local Government Primary School and a borehole facility, there seems to be a little signal of government’s presence.  Though without a single tarred road, a public clinic, the community can only ask for more. The erratic power supply makes it difficult for the few residents who operate personal boreholes to pump water regularly.

A community leader and one of the executives of the Community Development Association, Elder Emmanuel Okoko confirmed the erratic power supply in the neighbourhood. “We have power supply here just about three days in a week.  It is now worse than what we used to have perhaps due to more people moving in”, he said.

Okoko who retired from Lufthansa, German airlines after about 40 years of service settled in Ikola-Ilumo around 1999. “When I came here, people queried me why I decided to settle in the bush, today, this place is opening up, at lease the population is about 250,000.  The government should come to the aid of the teeming population”, he urged.

Cost of assessing water supply in the community is a source of concern to the growing population.  Mrs. Joan Emmanuel is a School Proprietress in Ikola-Ilumo laments the difficulties in assessing clean water which is causing sanitation problems for the teeming population.

“I am the Proprietress of Bright Horizon Schools in Peace Estate, Ilola-Ilumo and interacting with the parents here I found that water supply and sanitation is a major challenge”, said Emmanuel who noted that most people in the neighbourhood are low income earners and artisans whose take home remuneration cannot sustain rent in developed settlements outside the area.  She however identified poverty as a major problem of the people causing them to compromise clean water which is as important as life itself.

Most residents in the community are low income people earners who cannot afford to sink bore holes within their premises and have to rely on the community borehole and streams.  “For instance in my family of five, we spend N350 on a drum of water every day which amounts to about N10,000 a month, most people in the neighbourhood cannot afford that and this explains why people go for alternatives which are not too safe. If you come here early in the morning you will see people searching for water in nearby wells which is not safe enough for drinking”, said Emmanuel continuing that “with family income of about N800, 000 annually, spending N350 per day on water translates to about 15% of our income, I insist that most people in the community are not that comfortable”.

“There is a borehole provided by the Local Government somewhere in the community which provides water for houses close to it.  It is a good initiative but one borehole is just not enough to serve the large population because like I said, we are about 250,000 people here”, he noted.

However, many school children in the community also do not have access to adequate water supply.  Oluwatosin Moore a pupil of Skylight Secondary School:

“We do not have borehole, but we have a well from which we fetch water needed for our sanitation.  As a female student, water is essential and the well water is what we have access to in the absence of pipe borne water from the government”, she said, adding that “we buy sachet water during break for drinking or we bring water from home because the well water is not safe for drinking”.

Ihuoma Okoko, a Chemist in the community also confirms the difficulty involved in getting clean water in the area said: “Like you can see, this community is neglected and water is difficult to get.  Those who compromise clean water must spend more in buying drugs, so I feel it is easier to spend more on water than to spend the money on drugs with associated pains”, adding that “the cost of water here in Ikola-Ilumo is more than what obtains in neighbouring Ipaja or Gowon Estate where there are tarred roads good enough for water tankers and sachet water trucks, the government should please come to our aid in this community to ensure safe water because apart from the cost of good water, our health is also at stake”.

Medical Director of God’s Goal Medical Centre, Ojo-Alaba, Lagos, and Dr. Gabriel Omonaiye said access to clean water and sanitation can prevent a lot of diseases and can actually safe lives. According to Omonaiye who has treated a lot of ailments which are fallouts of lack of access to clean water among the poor, “lack of access to good water supply is the root cause of a lot of health problems faced in rural settlements and communities largely inhabited by poor people. Such community’s record high rate of cholera, diarrhea etc. and as simple as those diseases may sound; they sometimes cost not only lots of money but precious lives”

The Medical Director who coordinates medical missions in rural communities where access to safe drinking water is a challenge, continued “I have handled several health cases which are direct products of lack of access to clean water, we have had to administer between 30 to 40 drips in treating someone who contracted water borne disease due to lack of access to clean water and the cost implication can only be imagined”.

Though the cost of treating water related ailments varies from place to place, Omonaiye urged rural dwellers to ensure good hygiene and safe water intake.  He also laments the absence of pipe borne water in rural communities and even areas inhabited by the so called middle class people.

Sharing his experiences, the Medical Doctor said “there are lots of avoidable illnesses suffered by people in the rural areas just because of lack of access to clean sources of water. For instance during our trip to Olomometa beach, an off shore community near Badagry, Lagos, we found the prevalence of  ailments  Such as  Cholera, diarrhea, cold, and catarrh simply due lack of clean water and cold winds from the sea.

 

Iju-Aga Community

Iju-Aga a  semi urban community located between Lagos and Ogun States on the outskirts of Lagos is perhaps the closest settlement to the popular Iju Water works, which is the biggest water plant in Lagos State.

Ironically, most homes in the community do not take their daily water supply from the plant.

Alhaji Tijani  a community leader and prominent Landlord in the area who has said. “When I built my house here in the 1980s, I bought 11 long pipes to connect water from the main road. Then the pressure of the water was much and it was regular”.  But oday most homes in the community hosting the water works do not take water from the plant and this should not be so.

Some years ago, I cut off the water works and sank my own bore hole“due to lack of maintenance, the pipes over the years got rusted internally and the water passing through them comes out coloured and contaminated, making it unsafe for drinking and domestic

The story is however different in many homes who are not so buoyant to sink private bore holes.  Tomi Olaoluwa is a resident who grew up in the neighbourhood.  Speaking about water supply in the area, Tomi said “early in the morning residents mostly women and children would go out to seek for water from commercial bore holes where they pay before fetching”.

“This area may seem to be close to the water works serving major parts of highbrow Lagos area but we are not even familiar with their service as commercial water vendors have found a lucrative business”, she said, pointing to two water selling points in the area.

However, water vendors in the neighbourhood  supply water to homes :“Each jerry cancosts N20”, said Hamza, one of the water vendors in the neighbourhood.

Iju water plant was built in 1901 to produce a capacity of 11,000 m3/d for colonial quarters in Ikoyi/Obalende areas through a normal 28’’ diameter (700mm) iron trunk “A” water pipe. Meanwhile, as the needs increased, another expansion was made in 1943 when the capacity of the water plant was raised to 27,000m3/d as accompanied by the laying of another cast iron trunk “B” pipe of 24’’ (600mm).

Charity, they say begins from home, many have continued to wonder why the community hosting the mega water corporation has not been a direct beneficiary of the service it renders to other far away communities in Lagos.

 

The story is published under the pro poor WASH stories project implemented by the Water and Sanitation Media Network Nigeria, with the support of West Africa WASH Media Network, WaterAid, and Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council.