European Journal of Preventive Medicine

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Environmental, Anthropogenic, and Health Dimensions of Flooding: Perspectives in Man-environment Interactions

Received: Dec. 30, 2019    Accepted: Jan. 15, 2020    Published: Feb. 10, 2020
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Abstract

Floods are events of great concern because of their adverse impact on the environment and human health. Natural causes of flood include environmental phenomena such as heavy rainfall, overflow of river banks and coastlines, and tidal surges. But beyond the natural, flooding also reflects the outcome of human interaction with the environment in many instances. Poor housing, high population density, poor drainage systems, and global warming are all anthropogenic factors in flooding. On the other hand, disease outbreaks, displacement of populations, economic losses, psychosocial disorders, injuries, and deaths are important problems associated with flooding. The concept of environmentalism provides some basis for understanding the man-environment interactions. Environmental determinism posits that human activities and behaviour is wholly determined by his environment. But the more lenient form of environmentalism is environmental possibilism, a concept that promotes the idea that man can substantially alter his environment to soothe his purposes and activities. However, some of man’s influence on his environment directly or indirectly relates to known causes of flooding such as unplanned housing with poor drainage systems, damming, and climate change effects. The causes and effects of flood have important relationships that can be explored in devising appropriate and sustainable approaches to flooding control. This paper puts in perspective the significance of the man-environment interaction as it relates to flooding and associated problems. It describes some major consequences of flooding in the context of this interaction and sites some examples of major flooding events in the recent past in Nigeria.

DOI 10.11648/j.ejpm.20200801.11
Published in European Journal of Preventive Medicine ( Volume 8, Issue 1, January 2020 )
Page(s) 1-6
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Flooding, Environment, Health, Nigeria

References
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[5] Staes C, Orengo JC, Malilay J, et al. Deaths due to Flash-Floods in Puerto-Rico, January 1992: Implications for Prevention. Int J Epidemiol 1994; 23: 968–975.
[6] Pendlebury M, Bates G. Reducing adverse health impacts from flooding and flood risk : A review of the literature and development of questions for further research Part One : Introduction, http://www.nationalfloodforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Flooding-and-health-final-13072015.pdf (2015).
[7] Mondal P. Dichotomy between determinism and possibilism in geography, http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/geography/dichotomy-between-determinism-and-possibilism-of-geography/24592/ (2015, accessed 8 July 2016).
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[10] Mulder KF. Innovation for sustainable development: from environmental design to transition management. Sustain Sci 2007; 2: 253–263.
[11] Stanke C, Murray V, Amlôt R, et al. The Effects of Flooding on Mental Health: Outcomes and Recommendations from a Review of the Literature – PLOS Currents Disasters. PLoS Curr Disasters; 1, http://currents.plos.org/disasters/article/the-effects-of-flooding-on-mental-health-outcomes-and-recommendations-from-a-review-of-the-literature/ (2012).
[12] World Meteorological Organization. Management, Flood Series, Policy : Economic Aspects of Integrated Flood Management. WMO-No. 1010, Geneva, Switzerland: World Meteorological Organization, 2007.
[13] Tawari-Fufeyin P, Paul M, Godleads AO. Some Aspects of a Historic Flooding in Nigeria and Its Effects on some Niger-Delta Communities. Am J Water Resour 2015; 3: 7–16.
[14] PM News Nigeria. In Pictures: Nigeria’s unprecedented flood disaster, https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2012/10/14/in-pictures-nigerias-unprecedented-flood-disaster/ (2012, accessed 28 February 2019).
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[16] Idowu AA, Ayoola SO, Opele AI, et al. Impact of climate change in Nigeria. Iran J Energy Environ 2011; 2: 145–152.
[17] Mmom PC, Aifesehi PE. Impact of the 2012 flood on water quality and rural livelihood in the Orashi Province of the Niger Delta, Nigeria. J Geogr Geol 2013; 5: 216–225.
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Aigbiremolen Alphonsus Oriaifo, Osagiede Emmanuel Friday, Ireye Faith, Aigbiremolen-Alphonsus Agnes Eghonghon, Afogbon Ernest, et al. (2020). Environmental, Anthropogenic, and Health Dimensions of Flooding: Perspectives in Man-environment Interactions. European Journal of Preventive Medicine, 8(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ejpm.20200801.11

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    ACS Style

    Aigbiremolen Alphonsus Oriaifo; Osagiede Emmanuel Friday; Ireye Faith; Aigbiremolen-Alphonsus Agnes Eghonghon; Afogbon Ernest, et al. Environmental, Anthropogenic, and Health Dimensions of Flooding: Perspectives in Man-environment Interactions. Eur. J. Prev. Med. 2020, 8(1), 1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.ejpm.20200801.11

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    AMA Style

    Aigbiremolen Alphonsus Oriaifo, Osagiede Emmanuel Friday, Ireye Faith, Aigbiremolen-Alphonsus Agnes Eghonghon, Afogbon Ernest, et al. Environmental, Anthropogenic, and Health Dimensions of Flooding: Perspectives in Man-environment Interactions. Eur J Prev Med. 2020;8(1):1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.ejpm.20200801.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ejpm.20200801.11,
      author = {Aigbiremolen Alphonsus Oriaifo and Osagiede Emmanuel Friday and Ireye Faith and Aigbiremolen-Alphonsus Agnes Eghonghon and Afogbon Ernest and Egbe Edmund Richard and Mai Bukar Adama and Ogobor Eronmhon Augustine},
      title = {Environmental, Anthropogenic, and Health Dimensions of Flooding: Perspectives in Man-environment Interactions},
      journal = {European Journal of Preventive Medicine},
      volume = {8},
      number = {1},
      pages = {1-6},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ejpm.20200801.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ejpm.20200801.11},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ejpm.20200801.11},
      abstract = {Floods are events of great concern because of their adverse impact on the environment and human health. Natural causes of flood include environmental phenomena such as heavy rainfall, overflow of river banks and coastlines, and tidal surges. But beyond the natural, flooding also reflects the outcome of human interaction with the environment in many instances. Poor housing, high population density, poor drainage systems, and global warming are all anthropogenic factors in flooding. On the other hand, disease outbreaks, displacement of populations, economic losses, psychosocial disorders, injuries, and deaths are important problems associated with flooding. The concept of environmentalism provides some basis for understanding the man-environment interactions. Environmental determinism posits that human activities and behaviour is wholly determined by his environment. But the more lenient form of environmentalism is environmental possibilism, a concept that promotes the idea that man can substantially alter his environment to soothe his purposes and activities. However, some of man’s influence on his environment directly or indirectly relates to known causes of flooding such as unplanned housing with poor drainage systems, damming, and climate change effects. The causes and effects of flood have important relationships that can be explored in devising appropriate and sustainable approaches to flooding control. This paper puts in perspective the significance of the man-environment interaction as it relates to flooding and associated problems. It describes some major consequences of flooding in the context of this interaction and sites some examples of major flooding events in the recent past in Nigeria.},
     year = {2020}
    }
    

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    JF  - European Journal of Preventive Medicine
    JO  - European Journal of Preventive Medicine
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    AB  - Floods are events of great concern because of their adverse impact on the environment and human health. Natural causes of flood include environmental phenomena such as heavy rainfall, overflow of river banks and coastlines, and tidal surges. But beyond the natural, flooding also reflects the outcome of human interaction with the environment in many instances. Poor housing, high population density, poor drainage systems, and global warming are all anthropogenic factors in flooding. On the other hand, disease outbreaks, displacement of populations, economic losses, psychosocial disorders, injuries, and deaths are important problems associated with flooding. The concept of environmentalism provides some basis for understanding the man-environment interactions. Environmental determinism posits that human activities and behaviour is wholly determined by his environment. But the more lenient form of environmentalism is environmental possibilism, a concept that promotes the idea that man can substantially alter his environment to soothe his purposes and activities. However, some of man’s influence on his environment directly or indirectly relates to known causes of flooding such as unplanned housing with poor drainage systems, damming, and climate change effects. The causes and effects of flood have important relationships that can be explored in devising appropriate and sustainable approaches to flooding control. This paper puts in perspective the significance of the man-environment interaction as it relates to flooding and associated problems. It describes some major consequences of flooding in the context of this interaction and sites some examples of major flooding events in the recent past in Nigeria.
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Author Information
  • Department of Research and Biostatistics, Cedar Centre for Healt

  • Department of Community Medicine, Niger Delta University Teachin

  • EPI Cluster, World Health Organization, Benin City/Yenagoa, Nige

  • Department of Nursing Science, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma,

  • Department of Strategic Space Application, National Space Resear

  • EPI Cluster, World Health Organization, Benin City/Yenagoa, Nige

  • Department of Strategic Space Application, National Space Resear

  • Department of Engineering Space System, National Space Research

  • Section