Anthropogenic Factors in Urban Flooding

This study begun in response to the recent flood in urban cities (Ibadan and Lagos state) which claims thousands of life and destroy millions of property. The main theoretical question of the research concerns the importance of considering both the physical and social dimensions of urban floods. The following analytical questions are therefore considered: i) what constitutes urban flooding? ii) What processes influence the urban flood hazard? iii) What make people vulnerable to urban flooding? iv) How does one assess urban flood risk? v) Why do people live in areas that are vulnerable to flood? The research incorporates a review of the damage following the extreme flooding event in IBADAN (august 27 2011). It selects a worst affected urban settlement for further flood risk analysis. The study demonstrates that traditional physical science approaches to urban flood risk management are not sufficient for understanding the complexity of the hybrid character of the urban flood hazard in urban settlements. In this respect, an integrated urban flood risk management plan should be incorporated into the broader integrated development and environmental management planning of a city.