TITLE:
Environmental Factors, Constraints and Risks of Rainwater Runoff in Commune II of Maradi (Republic of Niger)
AUTHORS:
Maman Sani Abdou Babaye, Karimou Dia Hantchi, Abdoulkader Moussa Issaka, Ousmane Laminou Manzo, Yahaya Saadou Labo, Choukouriya Laouali Sannoussi, Moussa Konaté
KEYWORDS:
Niger, Storm Water, Impermeable Spaces, Urban Runoff, Flood, Vulnerability
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Modern Hydrology,
Vol.13 No.4,
September
28,
2023
ABSTRACT: The Urban Commune of Maradi in Niger experienced increasingly frequent
flooding following rainy episodes generating volumes and water flows that are
difficult to control in recent years. This study aims to determine the impacts
of runoff water in Commune II of Maradi City and to assess the role of urban
planning in runoff management, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of urban
sanitation in Maradi. The methodological approach used consisted of: 1) an
interpretation of documentary data, 2) gathering information on runoff at
several sites in the study area, and 3) interviews and questionnaires with
local communities. This approach made it possible to understand the degree of
vulnerability of the populations to flooding and then to propose sustainable
solutions to reduce the vulnerability of the affected populations, through the
implementation of effective urban rainwater management practices (USWMP). The
results show that the impacts of runoff are mainly related to the lack of
adequate storm water drainage networks in the area, but also to the nature of
the habitats. Geomorphological factors such as the nature of the soil, the
slope of the terrain and the altitude increase the degree of risk. In addition,
the inadequacy and dilapidation of the drainage systems of the canals and above
all the anarchic occupation of the land linked to accelerated urbanization are
the cause of flooding by stagnation of rainwater. A phenomenon now linked to
numerous deteriorations of urban equipment, the runoff of rainwater in the city
of Maradi carries so many pollutants that municipalities, businesses and
individuals should put in place pollution prevention measures.