Socio-Economic Consequences of Recurrent Flooding on Household Livelihoods and Community Resilience in Abia State, Nigeria

Abstract

Recurrent flooding has become a major environmental hazard with profound socio-economic consequences for households and communities in Abia State, Nigeria. The 2022 flood disaster was particularly devastating, claiming 21 lives in the state and displacing thousands of residents, while widespread destruction of homes, farmlands, roads, markets, and public facilities was recorded across flood-prone communities. The most severely affected areas included Ukwa West, Ukwa East, Obingwa, Ugwunagbo, Osisioma Ngwa, Aba North, Aba South, Isiala Ngwa North, Isiala Ngwa South, Umuahia North, and Umuahia South, where overflowing rivers, intense rainfall, and inadequate drainage infrastructure intensified flood impacts. This study assessed the socio-economic consequences of recurrent flooding on household livelihoods and community resilience in selected flood-prone communities in Abia State. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. Data were collected from 420 household heads using structured questionnaires and key informant interviews, while descriptive statistics and simple linear regression were employed for data analysis. Results showed that 76.4 per cent of respondents suffered substantial losses of income, productive assets, and household property, whereas 71.9 per cent reported extensive damage to residential buildings and community infrastructure. Furthermore, 68.5% indicated that recurrent flooding disrupted farming, trading, and other livelihood activities, leading to increased food insecurity and economic vulnerability. Only 35.7 per cent of households had adopted effective flood adaptation measures because of inadequate institutional support and limited access to early warning information. The hypothesis test revealed that recurrent flooding exerted a significant negative influence on household livelihoods and community resilience (β = −0.691, t = 12.487, R² = 0.478, p< 0.001), resulting in the rejection of the null hypothesis. The study concludes that strengthening flood-risk governance, climate-resilient infrastructure, and community-based adaptation strategies is essential for reducing future flood losses and enhancing resilience in Abia State.