| Abstrakt: |
Natural hazards such as floods has become in recent times a recurring phenomenon all over the world. In Africa, its effects has resulted to immense losses. Flood instances in Anambra state, Nigeria, has ravaged several communities causing deaths, displacements and damages to infrastructure. Therefore, this study is aimed at developingthe Anambra State Environmental Protection Agency Flood Management System (ANSEPA FMS), with an integrated spatial database and to implement this tool using an object-oriented platform of Visual Studio. This is to cater for several challenges which include the paucity of comprehensive data and the lack of instances of computer/communication technologies in the management and control of flood. Also, there exists the issue of isolation; here ANSEPA (under the State Ministry of Environment (SME)) hardly shares information to other flood/disaster-related agencies. On the methodology, firstly, we used data collection methods like observation, study of procedural manuals and interview of operators at functional (strategic) points of the institution in order to obtain necessary data and information. Subsequently, we performed system analyses and design, implementation and testing. The spatial database and corresponding forms was built based on the recent holistic flood management knowledge domain proposed by Kaewboonmaa, et al., which employed experts'opinions in its conception. Aside the benefit of assuming a central position for data sharing amongst related agencies, ANSEPA FMS can positively impact study area familiarity, thereby, instigating vulnerability assessment and triggering the necessary post-flood readiness required for prompt response to flood inundation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
