Anticipatory Action in River Flooding Risk Management in Nigeria: An Assessment of Community-Level Implementation
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In: Journal of Flood Risk Management, Vol. 18, No. 4, e70117, 12.2025.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Anticipatory Action in River Flooding Risk Management in Nigeria
T2 - An Assessment of Community-Level Implementation
AU - Olawuyi, Dorcas Adewumi
AU - Gbadegesin, Adeniyi Sulaiman
AU - Ajayi, Dickson ‘Dare
AU - Oyedele, Peter
AU - Geiger, Daniel
AU - Seidemann, Iris
AU - Geisemann, Pia
AU - Sansone, Samantha
AU - Nasir, Fatimah
AU - Antenyi, Oloche Percy
AU - Salako, Francis
AU - Agada, Judith
AU - Adaje, Patience
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Flood Risk Management published by Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2025/12
Y1 - 2025/12
N2 - Across the world, communities face annual and increasingly extreme flood events, yet there is a widespread lack of proactive preparedness. This failure to anticipate and mitigate flood risks deepens the damages experienced, stalling development, undermining environmental sustainability, and driving many communities deeper into poverty. Anticipatory action has emerged as a proactive strategy in river flood risk management, aiming to reduce vulnerabilities and enhance community resilience before disasters strike. This study assesses the implementation of anticipatory action strategies in Nigeria by building on qualitative data to assess community vulnerabilities and capacities. Findings indicate that over 70% of the total number of respondents in the selected nine communities in Nigeria lacked access to timely early warnings, and more than half viewed floods as unavoidable, reducing their engagement in long-term resilience planning. Communities demonstrated a stronger preference for short-term relief over proactive preparedness for disasters. Findings reveal a convergence of structural and behavioral vulnerabilities within the population. This highlights the study's contribution by connecting behavioral insights with anticipatory frameworks in high-risk communities. The study shows that there is a clear need for community-driven approaches that combine anticipatory action with economic support, sustained engagement, and other adaptive measures. By closing both behavioral and structural gaps, more effective anticipatory action policies can be institutionalized.
AB - Across the world, communities face annual and increasingly extreme flood events, yet there is a widespread lack of proactive preparedness. This failure to anticipate and mitigate flood risks deepens the damages experienced, stalling development, undermining environmental sustainability, and driving many communities deeper into poverty. Anticipatory action has emerged as a proactive strategy in river flood risk management, aiming to reduce vulnerabilities and enhance community resilience before disasters strike. This study assesses the implementation of anticipatory action strategies in Nigeria by building on qualitative data to assess community vulnerabilities and capacities. Findings indicate that over 70% of the total number of respondents in the selected nine communities in Nigeria lacked access to timely early warnings, and more than half viewed floods as unavoidable, reducing their engagement in long-term resilience planning. Communities demonstrated a stronger preference for short-term relief over proactive preparedness for disasters. Findings reveal a convergence of structural and behavioral vulnerabilities within the population. This highlights the study's contribution by connecting behavioral insights with anticipatory frameworks in high-risk communities. The study shows that there is a clear need for community-driven approaches that combine anticipatory action with economic support, sustained engagement, and other adaptive measures. By closing both behavioral and structural gaps, more effective anticipatory action policies can be institutionalized.
KW - anticipatory action
KW - community engagement
KW - enhanced vulnerability and capacity assessment
KW - resilience building
KW - river flood risk management
KW - Management studies
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105018504336&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/jfr3.70117
DO - 10.1111/jfr3.70117
M3 - Journal articles
VL - 18
JO - Journal of Flood Risk Management
JF - Journal of Flood Risk Management
SN - 1753-318X
IS - 4
M1 - e70117
ER -