Investigating the Nexus between Solid Waste Management and Flooding in Ibadan, and Devising a Pragmatic Solution through a Mobile App

Abstract Flooding is a recurring issue in Ibadan, and the improper management of solid waste has been identified as a potential contributing factor. Through a comprehensive analysis of existing literature, field surveys, and data collection, this study investigates the impact of solid waste on flooding in Ibadan and identifies the challenges faced in managing solid waste effectively as well as integrating innovative technology (by building a mobile application) into waste management systems to mitigate flooding risks. Data used for this study were both secondary and primary, in which the primary sources include the use of structured online questionnaire, interviews as well as personal observation, while secondary sources include desk study of reports from governmental and non-governmental institutions, existing research projects and so on. In addition, the use of sophisticated design tools like Figma and Flutter were used in the design of the Zero Flood mobile application. According to the research, only about 14.21% of the respondents claim they sort their wastes, 34.52% burn their wastes regularly. Also, 14.21% of respondents claim they empty their wastes into drains regularly, 6.60% do it occasionally while 36.04% claim they dump their wastes in unauthorized dumpsites. Similarly, 12.69% of the respondents said their drains are regularly blocked while 6.09% have it blocked occasionally. Analysis of the data and reports revealed that many of the residents still lack proper education on dealing with solid waste, and also, wastes collected by existing institutions are far lesser than that generated by households and institutions. This means that there is a need for proper popular participation in managing solid waste in the city so as to corroborate government’s efforts. Also, there needs to be proper alert and notification of an impending flood so as to mange the risks of flooding appropriately and efficiently.