Assessment of the Economic Consequences of Flooding on Livelihoods in Bayelsa State

Annual flooding in Bayelsa State destroys property, disrupts livelihoods, and imposes significant economic losses on households in the South South zone, and quantifying these losses provides evidence for climate adaptation and social protection policy. This study assessed the economic consequences of flooding on household livelihoods in Yenagoa, Southern Ijaw, and Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Areas, Bayelsa State. A post-flood survey of 280 affected households was conducted following the 2022 flood event. Data covered property damage, crop losses, business interruption, health expenditure related to flood illnesses, and livelihood income reduction. Descriptive statistics and poverty impact estimation were applied. Results showed that average economic losses per household were N342,000 for the 2022 flood event. Agricultural crop losses averaged N198,000 per farming household. Property damage affected 91.4 percent of surveyed households, with an average repair cost of N127,000. Households that lacked flood insurance (99.1 percent of the sample) absorbed all costs internally. Coping strategies included asset disposal (48.2 percent), borrowing (63.7 percent), and reduced food consumption (72.3 percent). The poverty headcount among surveyed households increased by an estimated 18 percentage points post-flood. The study concludes that flooding constitutes a major recurrent economic shock in Bayelsa State. Recommendations include mandatory flood insurance schemes, climate-resilient livelihood diversification, investment in dike and drainage infrastructure, and a state flood emergency economic recovery fund.

Keywords: flooding, livelihood losses, Bayelsa State, climate economics, disaster recovery