Flood Vulnerability Assessment of Communities in Hadejia Valley Irrigation Project (H.V.I.P) Jigawa State Nigeria

The aim of this study is to assess vulnerability to flood disaster of communities in the completed sectors of Hadejia Valley Irrigation Project (H.V.I.P). This research is specific in applying digital elevation model to create vulnerability map, identify the causes of flooding and identify some traditional methods of flood mitigation in the area. All the farmers in the sectors were taken into recognition, and simple random sampling was used in selecting the farmers for interview. Modelling method was employed to analyze the data as in assessing vulnerability, and simple random technique was employed to select respondents from each sector. The data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Chi square was used to test level of significance between the causes of flooding in the study area. A symp significance value of 0.832 was found, and because it is higher than 0.5 the hypothesis is accepted (Ho) accepted, that the cause of flooding in the study area are homogeneous in nature. The communities were mapped in to different vulnerability levels, and it was observed that factors like heavy and prolong rainfall, act of God, deforestation, opening of Tiga and Challawa dams, and flood embankment were the major causes of flood. The consequences of flooding on the residents of the study area are blockage and destruction of roads networks, washing away of farmlands and death of human and animal life. Moreover, it was revealed that the measures adopted by the residents to mitigate the consequences of the flood disaster are construction of flood walls, planting early maturing crops and evacuation of persons and properties to places unreachable to flood. The residents ranked opening of Tiga and Challawa dams, heavy and prolonged rainfall and act of God, deforestation and breakage flood embankment as the major causes of flooding. There is an urgent need for the completion and standardization of the dams upstream, and dredging of Hadejia River downstream. Government at different levels should provide basic infrastructures as good roads, bridges, and electricity to the study area.