LAGOS OCTOBER 20TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Frontline Delta State Environmentalist and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain, Chief  Sunny Onuesoke has  sympathized  with victims of flood that is present devastating some parts of the country just as he proffered  solutions  on how to prevent future occurrence  of such disaster.

Report has it that no fewer than  600 people have died,  more than 1.3 million people have been  displaced and billion of Naira  property lost  to the disaster which has affected people across 33 of the 36 states of the federation.
Onuesoke, who is also the country Director of Climate Change & Logistics while speaking on the sideline during a one-day flood awareness and IDP management workshop held  in Abuja recently lamented that  the current flooding that had destroyed millions of properties across over 20 states, killing many and displacing thousands from their homes could have been avoided if the government, the international community and individuals have taken responsibility.

He, however pointed out that  some measures  which include construction  of dams, Wing Dykes, Diversion Spillways, Afforestation  and Artificial Levee could be adopted to prevent or  combat further   occurrence of such dangerous  flooding in future.
Onuesoke explained that the release of water from the Lagdo Dam by Cameroon which has become the source of unimaginable destruction in Nigeria would have been prevented or rather managed   through  construction of its own dam rather than seeking to control its operations from Nigeria.

While appealing to Government to build new dams and desilt major rivers to check flooding, especially when neighbouring countries opened their dams, Onuesoke  pointed out that besides  being highly effective at reducing the risk of flooding, dams could equally be used to generate hydroelectric power that can bring economic benefits to an area by attracting manufacturing factories or being exported to other countries.

He added that the reservoir that develops behind a dam can be used as a drinking source or for leisure activities.

While rallying supports for victim of the flood, Onuesoke who was former Delta State Gubernatorial aspirant stated, “Aside from the current pain, suffering and losses being witnessed currently as the flood ravages on, the consequence of this flood may spiral over the next one or two years in form of food shortage due to farmland being washed away by the moving flood, diseases, power outage and other damming consequence.

“Therefore,  the international community especially the United Nation Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) must swing into action and mobilize other partner agencies to come to the aid of displaced persons in this time of emergency.”