Implications of gender-related differences for pluvial flood risk perception and precarity in Nigerian cities

Climate change represents one of the most challenging threats to sustainable development in Africa. There is an increasing need for knowledge focused on flood risk perception, as it is crucial for understanding how to develop effective and inclusive flood risk management. Using Ijebu-Ode, Nigeria as a case study, public awareness and understanding of flooding issues are explored, coupled with an assessment of individual and community responses and their adaptive capacity. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods are applied to enable a wide information base in a 'data poor' region. Air temperature and rainfall data (19892018) were sourced from the Nigerian Meteorological Station (NIMET, Ijebu-Ode) via national portal for the purpose of daily and monthly trend analysis. The primary data were gained via street surveys using structured questionnaire (300n) for the purpose of exploring the relationship between flood risk perception, precarity, and gender in an (in)formal settlement and best approaches to mitigate future flood disaster risks in IjebuOde. Findings provide insights for many other comparable cities in West Africa and beyond, especially those suffering a history of pluvial flooding, characterised by a young population, a mix of formal and informal housing, and a fragmented infrastructure. Although gender differences may be important drivers of vulnerability, this study finds no significant differences in gender understanding or responses to pluvial flood risk in Ijebu-Ode, which suggests that precarity and other wider, deeper-rooted complex issues may be more important with (in)formal settlements.