URBAN WETLANDS KEEP CITIES AFLOAT.

Look very well at the image above and it’s relatable to Lagos. Naturally, Lagos is designed to be well protected from flooding. However, our greed and lack of environmental consciousness have led us to where we are now. Now I am afraid my beloved city may be under water.

Much of Lagos’ natural waterfront consists of wetlands, the biologically rich area where water and land meet. They typically serve functions such as controlling floods, capturing stormwater runoff, moderating storm surges, providing habitat for local and migratory birds, fish and other wildlife, helping to improve water quality by serving as natural water treatment plants and sequestering carbon dioxide. These unique, ecologically rich areas also present a unique opportunity for Lagos residents to observe wildlife and to undertake other quiet, contemplative recreation. Now the opposite is the case. We now see buildings, hotels, restaurants and other places of leisure adorning the waterfront of Lagos. The justification of the promoters of this development is the city must grow, we need more land to generate revenue and entertainment makes Lagos move. Ironically, we seem to forget that our money and buildings cannot save us from the imminent disasters awaiting us in years to come.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/29/nyregion/nyc-flood-mta-subway.html

 

https://www.reuters.com/pictures/torrential-rains-bring-flooding-new-york-2023-09-29/

 

New York Case Study

Friday, September, 29^th 2023, New York City witnessed a heavy flood, half of New York City’s subway line was shut down due to torrential rainfall. According to New York City Chief Climate Officer Rohit Aggarwala “There’s no question that the rain on Friday is part of a pattern that is directly linked to climate change.” Also, Nelson Vaz a meteorologist at the New York office of the National Weather Service said” “What we once thought of as a rare event, a low probability of occurrence-maybe these events are increasing in frequency.” According to Aggarwala, the major concern about the rain is that there are no enough “permeable surfaces” in the city. So, a major part of New York City’s climate adaptation strategy includes: Turning basketball court enclosures into giant rain buckets, developing pockets of wetland, installing so-called rain gardens on sidewalks and building walls along the shorelines to keep out coastal storms.

In the last ten years, New York City has acquired almost 300 acres of wetland and is planning to acquire an additional 195 acres over the next 30 years for wetland creation and flood management. The opposite is the case in my city. Wetlands and waterfronts are “hotcakes’ in Lagos. Most developers in Lagos see the development of wetland areas as a major achievement. Most even boost about it and use it for social media campaigns. I am not against development, but I will not support development that is not sustainable. Interestingly, we can solve half of Lagos City's flooding challenges by integrating urban wetlands into project development. Lagos is designed as a natural pond. We need natural solutions to combat natural disasters because, with the frequency, magnitude and intensity of disasters, nature-based solutions are now inevitable. We need a Lagos City Wetland Strategy that will develop various urban wetlands across the city or state.     

 

Urban Wetland

Urban wetlands may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a bustling city, but these unique ecosystems are essential to urban environments. Urban wetlands refer to any wetland located within a city or urban area, such as ponds, marshes, or even small patches of wetland vegetation. While often overlooked, urban wetlands play a crucial role in maintaining the health and balance of urban ecosystems. They provide a habitat for diverse plant and animal species, contribute to water management, and even help mitigate the risk of flooding. Understanding the ecological significance of these wetlands is essential to ensure their preservation and continued benefits for both nature and city dwellers.

One of the significant benefits of urban wetlands is their ability to mitigate flooding during heavy rainfalls, wetlands act as natural sponges, absorbing excess water and reducing the speed at which it enters drainage systems. By slowing down the flow of water, wetlands help prevent overwhelmed storm drains and reduce the risk of flash floods in urban areas. Wetlands also buffer the shore from oceanic storm surges and dissipate the destructive energy of local floods. The expected sea level rise and increased storm frequency associated with climate change will make this function even more important in the future.

Now and more than before we need to have a Lagos Wetland Strategy as wetlands should be an important component of the City’s vision for a greener, greater Lagos and over the next two decades, the State should steadfastly acquire and restore wetland habitats. We should be able to “play god” as we design solutions that will address Lagos flooding issues.

 It is now expedient to foster collaboration between environmentalists, engineers, urban planners, and climate scientists as we have to turn ourselves into eco-warriors. Urban wetlands can be integrated with sustainable infrastructure like rain gardens and green roofs. We can turn our city into veritable ecological havens. Also, incorporating green spaces around wetlands provides recreation areas for city dwellers to stretch their legs and reconnect with nature. Think of it as a win-win for both humans and wildlife.

We can save Lagos from flooding. We just have to go natural. Urban wetlands may seem like an unusual concept, but they play a vital role in creating livable, sustainable cities. Let's embrace the wetland hipsters and bring a little bit of nature back into our urban jungles. Let's bring nature back into Lagos, major world cities are doing it. We cannot wait till when all hope is lost.