Group B - Collaborative Climate Adaption Project

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• Group B - Concept Mapping of Seminar Topics

Area	Ajegunle
Place	Lagos state
Country	Nigeria
Topic	Climate Change Impacts on Coastal Settlements
Author(s)	Kinga Jánossy, Melissa Abas and Fadera Williams

Rationale: Why have you selected this case study area?

• Climate change is now generally recognized as the greatest challenge to sustainable development, especially in a developing country such as Nigeria. Lagos State is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and unless concerted and urgent action is taken, it could result in widespread ecosystem degradation, thus disrupting socio-economic development and the welfare of the people. (Towards a Lagos State Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, 2012)

• In Lagos State, impoverished coastal communities living on reclaimed land are at risk from flooding due to storm surges and heavy rainfall events. Residents in these communities cope with impacts such as property damage, temporary homelessness, and spread of malaria. In this case, future vulnerability will be affected by rising sea levels and increased severity of storms expected in a changing climate, which will significantly affect urban development patterns. (Adelekan, 2009)

Map of Lagos State

Authors' perspectives

• Climate change is not only an environmental challenge but also social, health, economic and viability matter. While Africa comparatively contribute less (emitting less than 3% GHG global emissions; Ogunlade, 2008) to global warming, it is by far the most vulnerable to its effects as it lacks capability in terms of infrastructure, technology, social and the economy to resist or manage disasters such as storm, drought, flood, land slide, etc. which are associated with global warming and climate change. (Climate change and coastal states dialogue, 2012) As landscape architects we should provide adaptation strategies with interdisciplinary approaches to improve sustainable urban planning in order to preserve the natural and human life.

Landscape and/or urban context

• The study area is set in Ajegunle, it is located in Ajeromi Ifelodun (local government area of Lagos state, Nigeria). The site is a major informal settlement, often described as ‘jungle city’ with a multi-ethnic population. It is evident that decent housing is a major problem of informal settlement dwellers. This is largely due to their low level of financial capacity coupled with inefficient land administration system which have further exclude them from urban life and increased their vulnerability to eviction, disaster and environmental health problem. Therefore, any attempt to achieve livable, healthy and prosper cities must as a matter of urgency address housing issue. This means that there must be a conscious effort focusing on provision of decent housing for the poor at an affordable rate.

Ajegunle in Lagos, Nigeria

• Over 70% of the buildings in the area are Brazilian type while 13.1% of the buildings in Ajegunle are traditional compound type and 9.2% are flat. It is not surprising that most of the building are Brazilian (face me and face you) buildings or rooming apartment because it is believed to be the main design and characteristics of low income group as well as poor communities in Nigeria cities. Most of the buildings (50.3%) are predominantly residential however, a significant proportion representing 40.5% of the buildings are mixed use while other land uses account for 9.2%.

• About 85.9% of the buildings are accessible by roads but, the main problem is that majority of the roads are not tarred and the conditions are extremely poor. The roads are characterized by poor drainage, lack of street lighting, absence of pedestrian walkway as well as on street parking. Also some of the roads are used as refuse dump site.

• Aptly named, the Dustbin Estate is a collection of shanties on refuse dump where a very poor set of people live in Ajegunle. Living on a large heap of rubbish poses a myriad of health hazards to both adults and the children, not neglecting the attendant environmental issues. Whenever there is rainfall, the situation is worsened as the entire ‘estate’ is soaked in flood and people still go about their normal duties in this deplorable state. One wonders how these people survive; they eat, drink, have their bath, sleep, talk and do virtually everything in this ever-smelly settlement. Some of them make money from charging people who dispose their refuse here, but one wonders if the 50 Naira note collected for each pack of refuse could ever sum up to justify and alleviate the prevalent abject poverty and hazardous living.

Land use

(Land Use Change Analyses in Lagos State From 1984 to 2005/Oludayo Emmanuel ABIODUN, James Bolarinwa OLALEYE, Andrew Nnamdi DOKAI and Adedayo Kazeem ODUNAIYA, Nigeria)

Cultural/social/political context

• Lagos is a city and chief port in Lagos state, Nigeria. Until 1975 it was the capital of Lagos state, and until December 1991 it was the federal capital of Nigeria. Ikeja replaced Lagos as the state capital, and Abuja replaced Lagos as the federal capital. Lagos, however, remained the unofficial seat of many government agencies. The city’s population is centered on Lagos Island, in Lagos Lagoon, on the Bight of Benin in the Gulf of Guinea. Lagos is Nigeria’s largest city and one of the largest in sub-Saharan Africa.

• By the late 15th century Lagos Island had been settled by Yoruba fishermen and hunters, who called it Oko. The area was dominated by the kingdom of Benin, which called it Eko, from the late 16th century to the mid-19th century. The Portuguese first landed on Lagos Island in 1472; trade developed slowly, however, until the Portuguese were granted a slaving monopoly a century later. The local obas (kings) enjoyed good relations with the Portuguese, who called the island Onim (and, later, Lagos) and who established a flourishing slave trade. British attempts to suppress the slave trade culminated in 1851 in a naval attack on Lagos and the deposition of the oba. The slave trade continued to grow, however, until Lagos came under British control in 1861.

• Originally governed as a British crown colony, Lagos was part of the United Kingdom’s West African Settlements from 1866 to 1874, when it became part of the Gold Coast Colony (modern Ghana). In 1886 it again achieved separate status under a British governor, and in 1906 it was amalgamated with the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria. When Southern and Northern Nigeria were amalgamated in 1914, Lagos was made the capital of the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. In 1954 most of the hinterland was incorporated into the region of Western Nigeria, while the city itself was designated as federal territory. In 1960 Lagos became the capital of independent Nigeria. Control of its hinterland was returned to the city in 1967 with the creation of Lagos state. After 1975 a new national capital, centrally situated near Abuja, was developed to replace Lagos, which by then suffered from slums, environmental pollution, and traffic congestion.(Encyclopædia Britannica, 2002)

Slum area, www.nairaland.com

• Ajegunle has a population density of 7,941/km2, which is the highest populated of all slums in Lagos state. The slum area of Ajegunle constitutes 12.8% of the total area of all 42 blighted areas as at 1995. According to Stoveland Consult, WTP Study of 1997, majority of the multi-ethnic population of Ajegunle are of school age and highly, economically productive. Ajegunle is made up of five resident communities, and consist of people from all parts of the country with the dominant groups being the Ijaw, Ilaje, Hausa, Ibo, Urhobo and Yoruba ethnicity. Their main occupation is trading in the formal and informal sectors.

Environment, www.nairaland.com

• Ajegunle falls under the Badagry Division. Major settlements in this Division include: Badagry, Ajara, Iworo-Ajido, Akarakumo, Gbaji, Aseri, Egan, Agarin, Ahanfe, Epe, Posi, Mowo, Itoga, Ebiri, Ekunpa, Aradagun, Berekete, Mosafejo, Gayingbo-Topo, Kankon, Moba, Popoji, Oranyan, Tafi-Awori, Yeketome, Ipota, Seme, Iyagbe, Ajegunle, Aiyetoro, Festac and Satellite Towns, Iba, Kirikiri, Agboju-Amuwo, Okokomaiko, Ojo, Amukoko, Alaba-ore, Ijofin, Igbanko, Imore, Ijegun, Odan Group of villages and part of Agara.

• The Lagos metropolitan area is also a major educational and cultural centre. The University of Lagos (1962), the National Library, the Lagos City Libraries, and the National Museum (1957), with excellent historical examples of Nigerian arts and crafts, are all located in the city or its suburbs. The city is also the headquarters of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria and the Nigerian Television Authority. The airport at Ikeja provides local and international services.

The Settlement, www.nairaland.com

Flood area in Ajegunle, www.gbooza.com

Local Climate

• What are the climatic conditions at present? Have there been extreme weather events in the near past?

• Which changes are expected? Is there any evidence?

Illustration: Table or time line

Analysis of vulnerability

• The topography of Lagos is dominated by its system of islands, sandbars, and lagoons. The city itself sprawls over four main islands: Lagos, Iddo, Ikoyi, and Victoria, which are connected to each other and to the mainland by a system of bridges. All the territory is low-lying, the highest point on Lagos Island being only 22 feet (7 meters) above sea level, and the average height in Lagos is 5 meters above sea level.

• The excessive and unpredictable rainfall pattern is due to rise in atmospheric temperature which is a result of ill-human activities accumulated over the years lead the coastal location of Lagos State prone to flooding.

• Despite the environmental challenge posed by flooding due to storm surges and heavy rainstorms exacerbated by urban development, the vulnerability of the growing rapidly urban poor has not been taken into consideration in urban planning and development.

• If you consider these potential changes - which aspects/functions of your case study would be affected?

Illustration: Map/diagram/sketches/photos/background notes

Proposals for Climate Change Adaption

• How could your case study area become more resilient to climate change?

• Which measures would need to be taken to adapt to the new situation?

• How could you assure sustainability of these measures?

• Please describe 2-3 measures

Proposals for Climate Change Mitigation

• Which measures would need to be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other drivers of climate change within your case study area?

• How could you assure sustainability of these measures?

• Please describe 2-3 measures

Your scenario

• How will this area look like in 2060?

• Please forecast one potential future development taking climate change into account

Illustration: Map/diagram/sketches photos and background notes

What can be generalized from this case study?

• Are there any important theoretical insights?

• Which research questions does it generate?

• Short statement plus background notes

Presentation Slides

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References

Please add literature, documentations and weblinks

http://www.lagosstate.gov.ng/

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/327849/Lagos

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5728697-146/ajegunle_leaders_meet_to_tackle_climate.csp

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