Recurring Flooding in Southern Nigeria Advancing Climate-Resilient Infrastructure, Sustainable Urban Drainage, and Integrated Water Management for Emerging Coastal Citie

ABSTRACTRecurring flooding across Southern Nigeria has emerged as a significant infrastructure, environmental,and public health challenge, particularly within rapidly urbanizing and low-lying coastal regions.Communities across Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Anambra, and Lagos States continue to experienceincreasing flood impacts resulting from a combination of intense rainfall events, inadequate drainageinfrastructure, wetland encroachment, unplanned urban expansion, and climate-related pressures. Thispaper examines the growing interaction between urban development, stormwater managementdeficiencies, environmental degradation, and climate vulnerability within Southern Nigeria, andadvocates for a strategic transition from reactive flood response measures towards integrated,climate-resilient infrastructure planning. Key approaches include sustainable drainage systems (SuDS),GIS-based flood mapping, hydrological modelling, environmental monitoring, smart infrastructuretechnologies, wetland conservation, and data-driven urban planning.