The Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove is a cultural landscape near the city of Osogbo. Dedicated to Osun, the Yoruba goddess of fertility, the area is the largest of the sacred groves that have survived to the present. Recognizing the importance of this site, and the heritage it reflects, UNESCO declared this location a World Heritage Site in 2005. Many of the art, sculptures and shrines are in urgent need of repair and restoration. This problem is further intensified by the threats from natural disasters in the area, most prominently flooding by the Osun River.
The floods of 2019 were the worst in the past 30 years, causing extensive damage to the Busanyin Shrine. The flood hazard is mainly caused by the increased discharges of the Osun River during prolonged and intensified rainfall in the area (effects of climate change). Flooding is likely worsened due to urbanisation of the upstream catchment area whereby impermeable areas gets larger.
CDR carried out a flooding study and develop a concept design respecting and considering the religious and heritage values of the Busanyin shrine and restrictions that come with it.
