Migrating from Migratory Waters to Migration of Livelihoods

This study examined the impact of the 2012 flood disasters on migrant households in rural communities of Southeastern Nigeria. Data were obtained using mixed methods comprising questionnaire surveys and key informant interviews. Five rural Local Government Areas (LGAs) were selected because they are situated on the bank of Rivers, are vulnerable to floods, and are among the most badly devastated areas in the Nigeria during the 2012 floods. From each of the rural LGAs, sixty rural households totaling three hundred households were sampled for this study. Descriptive statistics were used to highlight the pattern of exposure to floods, and the severity of the impacts of the floods on the different socio-demographic groups. Asset index technique was used to appraise the livelihood indicators of the households before and after the floods while logistic regression was used to estimate the socio-demographic predictors of livelihood status of the population. In the study area about 59% of households reported very severe damages, and 16% reported mild damages by floods. The aggregate livelihoods status before the flood (= 0.48; SD = 0.5) was better than after the floods (= 0.10; SD = 0.31). Except for the water index, all the other livelihood indices were better before than after the floods. Finally, the regression results show that education and income are the most significant factor influencing livelihood security before and after the floods. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations are made on how to minimize the impacts of floods on the livelihoods of households vulnerable to flood disasters.