IMPACT OF FLOOD ON RURAL SOCIO-ECONOMIC LIFE IN BORNO STATE (A CASE STUDY OF JERE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BORNO STATE)

This study assessed the impact of flood on rural socio-economic life in Borno State with reference to Jere Local Government Area. The study aimed to investigate the socioeconomic impact of September 2024 floods on the displaced population, examine the psychological effects of the flood disaster on the displaced persons, and to examine possible ways of improving the livelihood of the flood displaced persons in Jere Local Government Area. The study deployed a descriptive survey design that enabled systematic gathering and analysis of the data of a specific population. The study population was made up of 306,400 inhabitants of Jere LGA and the sample size was 400 respondents calculated using Taro Yamane formula with a margin of error set at 5%. Simple random sampling was used to ensure that all the respondents had an equal possibility of participating in the sampling. The data were gathered using a structured questionnaire that was segmented into part of demographic data, socioeconomic effects, psychological consequences and livelihood improvement strategies. The instrument was distributed with the help of 20 trained research assistants with all copies being retrieved. Frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations were used as descriptive statistics to analyze the data with the help of SPSS software. Findings indicated that 80 percent of participants acknowledged that the flood resulted in lack of income, financial insecurity and dependency on humanitarian assistance, with a mean of 4.03, compared to 75 percent reporting hunger and malnutrition and inadequate health care services (mean = 3.91). In the same manner, 82 percent reported great psychological effects such as anxiety, depression and trauma (mean = 4.04). Results also demonstrated that livelihood improvement was possible under resettlement action plans, access to credit facilities, and community participation (mean = 4.09). Research findings recommended that the government and humanitarian agencies should offer specific livelihood support, offer psychosocial services in the process of disaster recovery, offer financial empowerment programs, and make displaced persons part of the decision-making in the sustainable recovery.