Public Administrative Responses to Flood Disaster Management in Bayelsa State

This study examines the public administration framework for flood disaster management in Bayelsa State, a low-lying coastal state in Nigeria's South South geopolitical zone that is among the most flood-prone in Africa. Annual flooding in Bayelsa causes widespread displacement, loss of livelihoods, and damage to public infrastructure, yet government responses remain predominantly reactive rather than anticipatory. Using a descriptive design, the study collected data from 250 disaster management officials, local government emergency coordinators, and displaced community members across three senatorial districts. Documentary analysis of Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) reports and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) situation reports from 2021 to 2024 supplements primary data. The Disaster Risk Reduction Framework, rooted in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, guides the theoretical analysis. Findings indicate that Bayelsa's flood response is characterised by poor early warning communication, inadequate pre-positioning of relief materials, and weak coordination between state and federal agencies. Flood-plain land use regulations are largely unenforced. Recommendations include investment in community-based early warning systems, adoption of a state climate adaptation and flood risk reduction plan, and the establishment of strategically located disaster response depots. Keywords: flood disaster management, Bayelsa State, disaster risk reduction, emergency management, public administration.