Urban planning, sustainable development and flooding : a case study of Port Harcourt city, Nigeria

Flooding is the most widespread environmental disaster in Nigeria and flooding impacts are exacerbated by poor urban planning. Flooding is a direct impediment to Nigeria achieving its sustainable development goals, particularly SDGs: 1: No Poverty; 2: Zero Hunger; 3: Good Health and Wellbeing; 4: Quality Education; 6:Clean Water and Sanitation; 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth; 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities; and 15: Life on Land. Using the city of Port Harcourt as a case study, this thesis sets out to investigate the relationship between urban planning, sustainability and flooding in Nigeria. Given the key role of urban planning in achieving sustainable development, and given that poor planning has been linked to flooding in Port Harcourt, practicing planning professionals were interviewed to understand their views on the city’s flooding problems. Research questions explored how the concept of sustainable development is understood among planners in Port Harcourt, how urban planning influences the flooding being experienced in Port Harcourt, the effects of flooding on Port Harcourt’s sustainable development, how the flooding impacts Port Harcourt’s residents, and ways the effects of flooding can be mitigated. While urban planners are responsible for implementing policy changes in Port Harcourt to tackle the flooding problem, their views had not previously been explored. This thesis thus represents a new area of research linking urban planning, flooding and public policy. The thesis argues urban planners of Port Harcourt Nigeria have a sound understanding of sustainability and are fully aware of the connections between poor urban planning and flooding, however widespread non-compliance with planning laws and improper building approvals undermines the city’s legal and planning architecture that does exist to control floods and achieve Nigeria’s SDGs