FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT IN LAKE EYASI SUB-BASIN OF TANZANIA

Abstract

A flood is a natural catastrophe that occurs when water covers land after the soil is saturated. The nature of the flood depends on the driving sources like rainfall, which causes fluvial floods and pluvial floods, while the coastal flood is caused by waves, overtopping, and storm surges (Klijn et al. 2009). Flooding is a phenomenon that happens when a river overflows its banks and inundates a large area of land. Rapid snowmelt, prolonged rain, and storm surges from tropical cyclones or tsunamis in coastal locations are the main causes of floods. Urbanization, growth of population, and climate change all have the potential to exacerbate flood damage. Natural processes can cause flooding, but they can also be exacerbated by human activity owing to various economic activities (Alabbad, Yildirim, and Demir 2022). Today, northwest Europe is experiencing an increase in the size and frequency of floods, especially river floods (Mustafa et al. 2018). Urbanization and climate change are two major factors causing a rise in flood damage (Mustafa et al. 2018). Because more people live in flood-prone areas and more infrastructure is built there, urbanization exacerbates the harm from flood exposure. Furthermore, due to inadequate infiltration, converting natural surfaces into artificial surfaces increases the frequency of flooding (Huong and Pathirana 2013). Flooding has been increasing globally in frequency and magnitude, which causes various damages like loss of life, properties, and economic loss. Floods are one of the most difficult and destructive types of natural disasters, with significant negative effects on the ecosystem, society, and economy (Chen and Alexander 2022).