Quite often, disasters such as floods, earthquakes, cyclones, hurricanes, droughts etc are characterized as natural disasters. This is because they are triggered by the forces of nature, over which the conventional wisdom holds that man has no control. For the most part, natural disasters leave in their trails, phenomenal devastation on lives, livelihood and the environment. Mainly because they are triggered by the forces of nature, humans are hardly held to account for the damages.
Even in contract law, natural disasters are seen as Acts of God and are found under Force Majeure clauses which provide convenient escape routes for non-performance of contractual responsibilities. Given the ability to predict the outcomes of natural disasters with mathematical exactitude made possible by advances in science and technology, might it be right to blame nature if we fail to take positive action to prevent or mitigate the consequences of natural disasters as we often do in Nigeria? In the light of the devastating effects of the 2022 flood disaster in Nigeria, which could have been prevented or mitigated with appropriate policy response, and the apparent helplessness of the government to handle the coming 2023 flood disaster, I argue that when a disaster occurs with every element of regularity and mathematical predictability, it loses its naturalness and should therefore, no longer be seen as a natural disaster. More appropriately, it should be seen as unnatural, manmade or governance disaster.
When we disrobe these disasters of their toga of ‘naturalness’, a number of things result at once. First, we are spared of the seeming helplessness of government officials to take action in preventing or mitigating the pains and sorrows that are the direct concomitants of disasters. Second, society is well able to hold people or appropriate government agency liable for failing to do the right thing. Holding people to account may take a variety of forms, ranging from litigation, protest, naming and shaming and in a democratic environment where votes count, outright voting a government out of office for failing to save the nation of disaster. Third, we absolve God or nature from blame for what is within the power of man to avert. This is imperative for two reasons. The first is that much of what finds manifestation today as natural disasters is a product of accumulation of abuse of nature by man. Blaming nature, therefore amounts to very much like blaming the victim. The second is that we are more likely to focus attention on sensible solutions rather than toeing the path of least resistance of praying as a disaster risk management strategy.
Driving through the East/West road from Port Harcourt to Delta State, particularly on the communities and parts of the road highly impacted by the 2022 flood, what is apparent even for the blind to see is that recovery has been slow and post-disaster risk management weak or non-existent. The broken down portions of the East/West road, about the only major access route in and out of the Niger Delta, have not been attended to, save patchwork remedial measures. Vast lands, once home to flora and fauna are mere shadows of themselves with dead trees. Collapsed buildings, whose owners are too poor to rebuild festoon the landscape of the Delta region heavily impacted by flood. I am confident that the story would be the same for Kogi, Benue, Anambra and other highly impacted states and communities. That this disaster may befall these communities so soon should trouble the minds of people, especially when the losses resulting from that flood is quantified.
More specifically, the Federal Government reported that economic losses from the 2022 flood disaster were estimated to be more than N4.2 trillion. More than 4.9 million people were negatively impacted by the flood and 603 people lost their lives. When we add to these, the trauma of dehumanizing conditions in poorly and hurriedly prepared camps for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), the cost would be incalculable.
The bad news is that flood disasters of this nature are no longer once in a long while phenomenon. With global warming, flood disasters, and all other natural disasters for that matter, are not only frequent, but severer than ever before. Which is why, in climes governed by saner minds, conscious efforts are made to prioritize disaster risk management in the policy process.
To be continued tomorrow.
Aaron, a Professor of Political Economy and Development Studies is of the Faculty of the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
