Abstract

Flooding disaster is one of the major challenges posing serious threats to the human society. This study assesses residents’ participation in flood risk reduction in Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria, with a view to enhancing a better managed urban environment. The study utilized both field observations and questionnaire. A total of 270 pretested structured questionnaires were administered systematically on every 5th household head in the study area to solicit information on their environmental characteristics to compute the Residents’ Satisfaction Index (RSI) on a 5-point Likert scale.  Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that the RSI for Public Sensitization had the highest mean weighted value of 2.97 while flood dam control had the lowest mean weighted value of 1.02. The results of partial correlation computed revealed that a positive significant correlation existed between residents’ participation and income (r = 0,271, p = 0.000) while a negative significant correlation existed between community participation and length of stay (r = -0.127, p = 0.0046). The study concluded that residents’ environmental attributes and perceived causes of flood disaster were the major determinants of the community participation in flood disaster risk reduction. In addition, there is need for training of residents on afforestation practices to enhance greater community participation in flood disaster risks management.

Key Words: Flood management, Community participation, Afforestation, RSI, Development control