Evaluation of Socio-Economic Impacts of Seasonal River Flooding Among Rural Communities in Rivers and Bayelsa States, Nigeria

Sokeiprim F. George; Akuro E. Gobo; William A. Iyama; Israel Nwafor

doi:10.56201/ijgem.vol.12.no5.2026.pg104.128

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Evaluation of Socio-Economic Impacts of Seasonal River Flooding Among Rural Communities in Rivers and Bayelsa States, Nigeria

Sokeiprim F. George, Akuro E. Gobo, William A. Iyama, Israel Nwafor

Abstract

Seasonal river flooding remains a persistent environmental and developmental challenge in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, particularly in rural communities where livelihoods are highly climate dependent. This study examined the socio-economic impacts of seasonal river flooding and the factors influencing vulnerability in rural communities across Rivers State and Bayelsa State. The study area comprised selected flood-prone Local Government Areas, including Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Obio-Akpor, in Rivers State, and Yenagoa, Sagbama, Ekeremor, and Southern Ijaw, in Bayelsa State. The population of the study therefore consisted of residents of these rural communities who are directly exposed to seasonal flooding and its associated socio-economic effects. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was adopted, and data were collected using structured questionnaires with a completed sample size of 387 respondents selected from a proposed sample size of 400, through a multi-stage sampling technique across the eight Local Government Areas. The findings showed that 87.1% of respondents agreed that flooding disrupts farming activities, 89.1% reported income loss, 86.1% experienced destruction of fishing equipment, and 83.7% reported displacement. Furthermore, 88.6% indicated increased cost of living, 85.5% reported health challenges, 86.1% reported destruction of homes, 86.6% noted infrastructure damage, 83.9% reported reduced access to education and healthcare, and 87.3% experienced livestock loss. On vulnerability factors, 88.2% identified proximity to rivers, 89.5% poor drainage systems, 86.8% low-lying topography, 84.8% limited early warning systems, 88.6% lack of flood- resistant infrastructure, 88.4% poverty, and 87.3% environmental degradation as major drivers. The ANOVA results further confirmed statistically significant effects, with F-values of 17881.4 (p = 2.17E-71) and 4894.56 (p = 4.78E-47), leading to the rejection of both null hypotheses. The findings imply that seasonal flooding is not only an environmental hazard but also a multidimensional socio-economic crisis driven by structural inequalities and environmental exposure. It concludes that flooding significantly undermines livelihoods, infrastructure, health, and human development, while vulnerability is shaped by both physical and socio-economic conditions. It is recommended that government and stakeholders prioritise investment in flood-resilient infrastructure, strengthen early warning systems, promote livelihood diversification, enhance environmental management, and implement community- based flood adaptation strategies to build long-term resilience in flood-prone rural communities.

Keywords

Seasonal river flooding; Socio-economic impacts; Vulnerability; Rural communities; Niger Delta; Flood risk factors; Climate adaptation IIARD International Journal of Geography & Environmental Manageme

References

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Evaluation of Socio-Economic Impacts of Seasonal River Flooding Among Rural Communities in Rivers and Bayelsa States, Nigeria

Abstract

Keywords

References

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