By Sunday Ameh
The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD) has called on governments, emergency agencies, community leaders and residents across the South-East to immediately strengthen flood preparedness and climate adaptation measures following the Nigerian Meteorological Agency’s (NiMet) forecast of increased rainfall and thunderstorms.
In a statement issued on Friday in Umuahia, Abia State, the environmental advocacy group said NiMet’s forecast should be treated as an early warning requiring coordinated action to reduce the growing risk of flood disasters linked to climate change.
FENRAD expressed concern that many communities in Abia State and across the South-East remain vulnerable due to blocked drainage systems, poor waste management, unregulated physical development, inadequate public awareness and insufficient investment in climate-resilient infrastructure.
The organisation warned that flooding has become a recurring consequence of climate change and environmental mismanagement, urging governments at all levels to prioritise prevention, preparedness and community resilience rather than responding only after lives and property have been lost.
Among its recommendations, FENRAD called on the Abia State Government and other South-East states to activate emergency preparedness and flood response mechanisms in flood-prone communities, intensify public awareness campaigns through traditional and digital media, schools, markets, churches and community meetings, and strengthen collaboration among NiMet, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), local governments and community-based organisations to ensure timely dissemination of early warning information.
The organisation also urged authorities to immediately clear blocked drains, waterways, culverts and erosion channels, particularly in urban centres such as Umuahia, Aba, Ohafia and Arochukwu, while enforcing environmental sanitation and urban planning regulations to prevent indiscriminate waste disposal and construction on waterways and floodplains.
FENRAD further advocated increased investment in climate-smart infrastructure, erosion control projects, watershed restoration, tree planting and other nature-based solutions, alongside the establishment of community-based disaster risk management committees to coordinate preparedness, evacuation and recovery efforts.
The group stressed that environmental education and community sensitisation remain critical to building resilient communities, encouraging residents to keep drainage channels free of refuse, report blocked waterways and comply with official weather advisories during periods of heavy rainfall.
It also called on development partners, the private sector, academic institutions, youth groups and community associations to support initiatives aimed at promoting climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction and environmental sustainability.
Reaffirming its commitment to environmental justice and climate action, FENRAD said it would continue to advocate policies and initiatives that protect both people and ecosystems across Abia State, the South-East and Nigeria.
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