Many rural rice producing communities in the developing world in general and in Ebonyi
State in particular suffer from severe flooding episodes during the rainy season with manifest destruction
of large areas of rice fields, displacement of entire communities and attendant erosion of critical social
and economic sources of livelihoods. The current dwindling oil revenues, fast diminishing foreign
exchange reserves and the sharp increases in the price of imported rice in Nigeria all underscore the
urgency to make these communities in Ebonyi State more resilient if Nigeria is to be made self-sufficient
in local rice production. Using field reconnaissance survey(s), focus- group-discussion (FGD) and
administration of structured questionnaires, data generated was analyzed using simple descriptive
statistics. The result of the study revealed that a number of geomorphic, hydrologic, environmental, social
and economic factors are responsible for the severe environmental shocks suffered by these rural rice
communities in Izzi and Ikwo Local Government Areas during heavy flooding episodes. Against this
background, the study recommends the construction of levee across depression along the bank of Ejim
River, construction of flood divert structures to remove water from low lying rice fields during heavy
flooding, building of large flood detention ponds or lakes within the low lying rice flood plains for dry
season rice irrigation farming, planting of trees along the channel of Ejim River to protect its banks and
the promotion of social learning activities, i.e building local capacity of communities to have ability to
assess, manage and monitor flooding risks based on shared information with neighboring communities
and external agencies, as well as, acquisition of new skills to mange natural assets. The paper concludes
that it is only a combination of engineering, environmental, social and economic measures that can
guarantee sustainability and resilience in the rural rice producing communities or Izzi and Ikwu Local
government Areas of Ebonyi State
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