Principal Component Analysis of Household Vulnerability to Flood Disaster in Makurdi Metropolis, Benue State, Nigeria

Abstract

Flood disasters are increasingly becoming frequent and recurring in Nigerian urban areas with all its attendant destructive consequences. This study assessed household vulnerability to flood disasters in Makurdi metropolis, Benue State, Nigeria. The study employed both direct field measurement and 400 questionnaires for the data collection on vulnerability factors and indicators. Principal Component Analysis was used to generate weights of vulnerability factors (Exposure, Adaptive Capacity and Sensitivity) and their corresponding indicators so as to avoid the uncertainty of equal weighting given the diversity of indicators used. The result indicates that Makurdi is generally vulnerable to flood disasters with a Composite Flood Vulnerability Index (CFVI) of 0.443. In terms of individual vulnerability factors, the result revealed a high resilience index (adaptive capacity) of 6.230; high sensitivity or susceptibility index of 3.970 and a relatively high exposure index of 1.817. The study, therefore, recommends that steps should be taken to relocate households living in close proximity to River Benue, especially those in flood-prone areas so as to reduce their exposure and sensitivity to flood disasters.