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@article{205320,
        author = {Abdulrasheed Abiodun Abdulwahab and Abubakar Umar and Ganiyu Onoruoiza Salawu and Fatai Afeez Olansile},
        title = {Flood Vulnerability Assessment in the River Kaduna Catchment Area of Kaduna South Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {13},
        number = {1},
        pages = {6389-6406},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=205320},
        abstract = {Flooding remains one of the most destructive
and recurrent environmental hazards confronting urban
communities in Nigeria. This study undertook a
comprehensive flood vulnerability assessment in the
River Kaduna catchment area of Kaduna South Local
Government Area (LGA), Kaduna State, Nigeria. A
mixed-methods design was adopted, integrating
geospatial analysis in ArcMap 10.8.2 using MultiCriteria Evaluation (MCE) with elevation, slope,
Topographic Wetness Index (TWI), and proximity to the
River Kaduna as flood conditioning factors, alongside
structured questionnaires administered to 390
respondents across all 13 wards. A Socio-Economic
Vulnerability Index (SEVI) was computed from eight
indicators and analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics.
Findings revealed that 21.71% of the study area (10.03
km²) falls within the most vulnerable category and a
further 29.57% (13.66 km²) within the more vulnerable
category, meaning over 51% of Kaduna South LGA is
exposed to high-to-moderate flood risk. An estimated
14,669 buildings and over 73,000 people are situated
within the highest-risk zones. Makera (SEVI = 0.474) and
Tudun Wada South (SEVI = 0.460) recorded the greatest
socio-economic vulnerability. Notably, 31% of
respondents had not yet recovered from a previous
significant flood, and 60.8% were unaware of any
government or community flood mitigation measures.
The study concludes that flood vulnerability in Kaduna
South is a structural problem rooted in the convergence
of physical geography, governance deficits, and socioeconomic inequality. It recommends integrated
interventions spanning floodplain regulation, drainage
rehabilitation, GIS-informed spatial planning,
community-based early warning systems, and targeted
social protection for the most vulnerable wards.},
        keywords = {flood vulnerability; GIS; socio-economic vulnerability index; Kaduna South; Nigeria; multicriteria evaluation; urban flooding},
        month = {June},
        }