Indigenous Knowledge And Flood Adaptation In Anambra State

Abstract

Flooding remains a major challenge in Anambra State, Nigeria, due to its proximity to the Niger River. Seasonal floods displaced communities, destroy infrastructure, and threatened food security. The study evaluated the effectiveness of indigenous knowledge in achieving flood adaptation with the objective of drawing insights from a similar case study conducted in Palembang, Indonesia. The study adopted a qualitative research method. Purposive and Snowball sampling techniques were used to select participants with firsthand experience of recurring flood events and to reach hidden or marginalized knowledge holders in the study area. Primary data were collected via semi-structured interview and focus group discussions, and complemented with a review of government policy papers, previous academic studies, NGO reports, and historical flood records in Anambra State. The study identified six (6) themes: traditional flood prediction, adaptive housing, resilient agriculture, community-based response, declining indigenous knowledge, and institutional disconnect, as indicators for comparing with a similar case study in Palembang, Indonesia. Findings show that local communities used environmental cues like river behaviour, bird migration, and cloud formations to predict floods methods similar to those in Palembang. Traditional stilt houses made of mud and bamboo, and flood-resistant farming practices using yam and cassava, were common but declining due to urbanization and policy neglect. Social structures such as women’s groups and elders played essential roles in flood response, though these too were weakening. The study recommended the integration of Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK) with modern flood risk management policies for a sustainable flood adaptation strategy in Anambra State.