Understanding the Challenges and Gaps in Flood Vulnerability Assessment and Mitigation Strategies in Nigeria

Flooding is among the most destructive environmental hazards, leading to significant socioeconomic losses, infrastructural damage, and displacement. Floods are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change, increased urbanization, inadequate drainage systems, and inadequate flood risk management measures. Many empirical studies utilized various advanced tools and methods to understand the extent of flood vulnerability in flood-prone areas. The combination of the datasets for flood mapping, the choice of methods, and the flood modeling approach varies from one researcher to another, and they often neglect social-ecological dynamics, which can influence flood risks. Additionally, flood vulnerability, risk preparedness, and adaptive management practices varied, sidelining the integration of community-based science and consideration for crucial stakeholders. However, this study seeks to assess flood vulnerability assessment and mitigation approaches to understand current modeling methods and existing adaptive methods in developing countries like Nigeria. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline summarized the literature from 28 journals. The study's findings revealed that environmental contexts are crucial in determining flood risk mapping parameters and suggest integrating those factors with social-ecological factors. The review also suggests addressing primary barriers to flood data collection and accessibility, using cost-effective, community-driven, or crowdsourced methods, and interdisciplinary collaboration to improve flood risk assessment and mitigation strategies in urban and rural Nigerian communities. The study proposes a multidisciplinary approach encompassing capacity-building programs, regulatory reforms, and technological advancements to enhance resilience against flooding.