Civil and Sustainable Urban Engineering

Infiltration Control and Precipitation Management: Panacea for Soil Erosion, Erosion Wadis and Aggradation of Orogodo River in Agbor Metropolis

Augustine Anyiam Oputa — 2026-08-30

Globally, water is the most potent agent of soil erosion. Its potency at room temperature depends on the flow energy. Water induced soil erosion involve breakdown, and transport of broken-down soil aggregates from place of origin to where the displaced particles are deposited, thus stagnant water has very low erosive potentials. Currently, one of the major sources of colossal plagues in Agbor metropolis is soil degradation through soil erosion. Prominence of soil erosion in the metropolis is attributable to high infiltration density, severe rainfalls and long steep topography. This paper examines infiltrations, severe rainfall, topography and urbanization effects on soil erosion, and Orogodo River sustenance in Agbor metropolis. The metropolis mean annual precipitation (1787 mm) was estimated from Delta State annual rainfall data (2005‒2015). Curve number method and Pythagoras theorem apply to estimate the metropolis runoff volume and topography gradient. Newton’s laws of motion apply to estimate runoff acceleration, velocity, force, kinetic energy, and momentum. Volume of sediment deposits in Orogodo River for 28 years (1998−2026) was estimated using the rational method. Research findings reveal Agbor metropolis runoff potentials: flow volume, velocity, acceleration, kinetic energy, force, and momentum is [(779580863.3) m³, (2.5) m/s, (0.026) m/s², (2.43619E+12) J, (20269102449) N and (3.82964E+13) kgms^-1]. Outstanding runoff potentials and unethical waste management aggravate soil erosion, while debris transport downslope is fast sinking Orogodo River. Residents should establish samba and channel courtyard runoffs to it, adopt ethical waste management and provide drainage systems with concrete slab covers to prevent waste deposition into it.

Imperative and Profound Regulatory Efficacy: Engineering Panacea for Flood Mitigation in Lower Niger Floodplain/Riverine Communities, South-South Nigeria

Augustine Anyiam Oputa — 2026-08-30

The Niger River and its flow channels constitute major cultural, drainage, and socioeconomic resources for riverine communities. However, widespread degradation of river valleys and floodplains in Nigeria has increased flood risks, particularly in the Lower Niger and Niger Delta. This study examined the causes, effects, trends, and control measures associated with flooding in Delta State floodplain communities. It analyzed rainfall patterns in the Niger River Basin, Niger River flow characteristics, population growth and urbanization trends in Nigeria from 1950 to 2023, and waste management practices. The findings revealed high annual rainfall across the Niger River Basin, with river flow and wet-season discharge strongly influenced by rainfall. Population growth, urbanization, infrastructure development, inadequate environmental conservation, and poor waste management have accelerated the degradation of river channels and floodplains. These conditions increase surface flow into adjacent low-lying areas, intensifying annual flooding. Flooding in Delta State was therefore attributed to the combined effects of intense rainfall, degraded river systems, and inadequate implementation and enforcement of environmental protection and urban planning policies. Effective flood mitigation requires restoration of the Niger River system, sustainable waste management, stronger enforcement of environmental regulations, improved administrative controls, and community-based behavioral management strategies.

Evaluating the Outputs of the Tourism Village Program Through the 4A Tourism Development Components: Evidence from East Manggarai Regency, Indonesia

Waldenses Rojeri Babut — 2026-08-10

The tourism village program became a key strategy of the Indonesian government to stimulate local economic growth through community-based tourism; however, its implementation in lagging regions was rarely evaluated systematically. This study aimed to evaluate the outputs of the tourism village program in three villages of East Manggarai Regency—Colol, Golo Loni, and Compang Ndejing—based on the four components of tourism destination development (4A): attraction, accessibility, amenity, and ancillary. A mixed-methods approach within a formative evaluation framework was applied. Data were collected through field observations, in-depth interviews, documentation, and questionnaires involving 45 purposively selected informants. Twenty-three sub-variables were assessed against predetermined ordinal indicators (Good, Fair, and Poor) and summarized using percentage-distribution descriptive analysis. The findings showed that the overall program outputs remained suboptimal: only 15.9% of the assessments were categorized as Good, 39.1% as Fair, and 44.9% as Poor. The attraction component performed relatively well (66.7% Fair), whereas accessibility was the weakest (66.7% Poor; 0% Good), with the availability of public transportation and parking areas rated as Poor in all villages. The ancillary component revealed a marked institutional gap between villages, recording the highest proportion of Good ratings (33.3%) alongside a high proportion of Poor ratings (44.4%). These results highlighted that infrastructure improvement and institutional strengthening should be prioritized so that the existing attraction and accommodation potentials could function as operational tourism products in moderately developed rural destinations.