Let’s endeavour to make river Enziu tragedy the last one in our country

Many lives have been lost from the Enziu river tragedy, there is growing concerns for stakeholders to work with government to address such scenes once and for all. Such tragedies/disasters have become a common feature wherever it rains. It has become a crisis that stalks and looms arounds us all the time. A single life shouldn’t be lost because we need them to achieve our Vision 2030. Crises like the Enziu tragedy have two sides that we must not fail to recognize and leverage on. Yes, we have the crises of people drowning and property being destroyed in rural and urban areas because of flooding of water courses. On the other hand, we can leverage the anger, the frustration, and the sympathy that follows such disasters to comprehensively address it. There is need to leverage on state, non-state actors and other private entities to finance ways of addressing such disasters, including incorporating engineering and financing into such projects. This can be done throughout project design and implementation to enhance chances of success.

The collective need for action expressed by various commentators on the subject matter should not just stop at that. It should lead to more action, bring about innovative ways of tackling such disasters, introduce creative ways of managing such water levels and make stakeholders strive to make long lasting and impactful changes that will ensure all of us are safe from such disasters. There should be introduction of early warning systems that can alert people when such rivers are out of bounds. Secondly, infrastructure facilities, including houses and business premises should be built with a clear understanding of water levels in the surroundings, which should be buttressed by climate change proofed developments. Thirdly, we should urgently tackle the effects of climate change and global warming because the more such changes occur, the more the chances of adverse flooding which is followed by more droughts. Fourth, we should protect wetlands and other water reservoirs, including planting trees to absorb such flush floods. Fifth, adopt the concept of “ Resist, delay, store and discharge” such flood waters which is scarce later. Above all, we need to holistically think about the cycles between drought and flooding control measures that must include addressing climate change issues. We should prepare for future disasters by building resilience.