An application of Geographic Information System in mapping flood risk zones in a north central city in Nigeria

This study deals with the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in mapping flood risk zones in Makurdi Town. This study draws its relevance from the importance of a GIS database in tackling flood related problems. To create a map of flood risk zones in Makurdi town, the ArcView GIS package was used to digitize a topographic map and other relevant themes of the study area. Through GIS overlay and manipulative functions, a Digital Elevation Model of the study area; and a classification map of flood risk zones in Makurdi town were created. The map of flood risk zones generated shows that Makurdi town is generally susceptible to flooding and very little has been done in steering away development from ‘highly susceptible’ areas. The study recommends the need for town planners to steer development away from areas of high risk to low risk.   Key words: Flooding, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), mapping, remote sensing, Makurdi, Nigeria.