Flood Disasters and the Threat to Food Security in Benue State

Abstract

Food is a primary need of humans and food security is central to the sustainability of livelihoods of people. Over the years the Federal and State Governments in Nigeria have been striving to meet the local food needs of its growing population without appreciable success. There is a growing concern that climate change, manifest through increased rainfall and attendant floods, will further affect the capacity of the nation to meet the food demands of its people. This paper looks at flood disasters and their impact on the various dimensions/ components of food security in Benue State. Data was sourced via the questionnaire (christened the Food Security Indicator) which was administered to 390 respondents who were randomly selected from six communities in three L.G.As, from the Benue Northwest senatorial zone. The data collected from the field was analyzed using the frequencies and percentages. Findings reveal that majority of respondents perceived that flooding affects food availability, access and utilization. The findings however reveal that flooding does not impact on food stability; as this is likely to be a function of other factors. In view of this, it was recommended that Government and Development Partners should make sustainable arrangements to provide a buffer stock of food to cushion the effect of flood hazards on food challenges of households. The government should also devise ways of harvesting flood waters that will help boost dry-season farming thereby increasing food production.