By Onile Kareem

Lately, the United Nations reported that extreme weather is a sign of global warming, and it blamed the year's record hot average global temperature for spawning flooding, deadly heat waves and wildfires. Across the world, there is a 90 percent chance we will see more frequent heavy rainfall and heat waves this century, according to a worldwide consortium of scientists and government officials known as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Nigeria is not an exception in this case.

Responding to the challenges of climate change in developing world remains a major problem; however, the fact that some state and national governments are making enormous effort in confronting this challenge cannot be overlooked. At the beginning of the first quarter of 2013, meteorologist listed Kwara state as one of the four states to experience very heavy rainfall in Nigeria. Having experienced flooding last season in certain areas of the state, Kwara state government in its usual visionary nature has channelled efforts that will avoid flooding in the state this season.

Kwara has started taking important measures against flooding in the state, a thoughtful step to secure the lives and properties of the masses. Several dredging and drainage projects are going on in the state to ensure easy flow of water through channels across the state.

When floods are due to an excess of rainfall, the flood risk can last for a time after the actual rain has fallen, as water runs off hills and into rivers and streams, this explains why Kwara state government is dredging major rivers and streams across the state and also clearing and enlarging drainages for easy flow of water all through the season. Flood risk can be increased by human activity, for example when people 'concrete over' areas that would normally absorb water, such as drives, or build houses on floodplains, which can interfere with the natural behaviour of flooding rivers e.t.c.. Responding to these possibilities the state government has maintained a radio jingle educating and warning the people against such activities.