A group of researchers have used remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques to identify areas that are vulnerable to flooding within Ibadan metropolis. These areas icnclude Odo-Ona, Apata, Ganga, Idi Ishin, Eleyele, Molete and Olopomewa.
The findings are contained in a study in the Journal of Environment and Earth Science, titled, “Application of Geo-Spatial Technology in Identifying Areas Vulnerable to Flooding in Ibadan Metropolis.”
The researchers, namely Sikiru Abdulkareem of the African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in English, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; and Elijah Adefisan and Ropo Orimoloye, both from Department of Meteorology and Climate Science, Federal University of Technology Akure, Ondo State, stated that the study made use of “the integrated approach of Remote Sensing and GIS techniques in flood management with the goal of identifying areas vulnerable to flood hazard in Ibadan Metropolis.
Ibadan is the largest indigenous city in the continent of Africa and had experienced a lot of various severities of flood occurrences in the last 50 years.
Speaking further on the subject, Sikiru Abdulkareem, an indigene of Ibadan, who is among the three researchers that identified areas vulnerable to flooding Ibadan using Remote sensing and GIS techniques, stated that “Flooding is a natural disaster that can have devastating effects on communities, infrastructure, and the environment. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) offer powerful tools to manage and mitigate the impacts of flooding through advanced mapping, analysis, and real-time data integration. My experience with the National Space Research & Development Agency (NASRDA) and Geodigital Nigeria Limited (GNL) provided me with valuable insights into the application of GIS in flood management.”
Abulkareem added that “GIS can integrate real-time data from weather stations, river gauges, and satellite imagery to monitor flood conditions and provide early warnings.
“These systems allow authorities to issue timely alerts to communities at risk, enabling them to take protective measures.
“Real-time GIS dashboards can display current flood levels, forecasted rainfall, and predicted flood extents, providing critical information for emergency response teams.”
He said that “implementing such systems in flood-prone areas can significantly reduce the impact of flooding by enabling swift and informed decision-making, concluding that “the application of GIS in flood management systems has revolutionized how we assess, mitigate, and respond to flooding.”
“Topographic Map and Landsat TM image of 1993 and 2000 respectively were processed, scanned, digitized, interpolated, classified and overlaid using ILWIS 3.3 academic and ARC GIS 9.2 software modules to generate classified land cover map, Digital Terrain Map (DTM), Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN) and flood vulnerability map of the study area respectively.”
They added that “the results obtained shows that, areas lying along the banks of River Ona and
River Ogunpa are most vulnerable to flood hazards with the vulnerability decreasing towards the northern part of the city, much of the area is built up with improper planning and this gives rise to high vulnerability to flash flood hazards.
“The Odo Ona, Idi Isin, Eleyele, Olopometa and Molete areas are the most vulnerable to flood threat.
“The incessant violation of land use plan, unchecked population growth, old nature of the structures and poor materials used in the construction of the houses make the areas vulnerable to flood hazard.”
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