FG Moves to Sustainably Manage Hadejia-Jama’are Water Catchment

The Federal Government says it is committed to ensuring sustainable management of the Hadejia-Jama’are Water Basin to promote equitable access to water resources and address climate-related challenges across the seven states within the catchment.

Engineer Ngozi Abuo, Director of Hydrology, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, who represented the Minister at a stakeholders’ engagement in Kano, said the meeting brought together the Federal Ministries of Water Resources and Sanitation, Environment and Agriculture and Food Security under the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project.

Abuo said the initiative was aimed at ensuring that water and other natural resources in the catchment were sustainably managed and equitably allocated to communities.

She said the seven states within the catchment had identified their major challenges and proposed solutions, adding that the Strategic Catchment Management Plan would take into consideration the needs of all communities.

According to her, the plan will address issues including water supply, flooding, erosion and other climate-related challenges affecting communities across the catchment.

Also speaking, Abdulhamid Umar, National Project Coordinator of ACReSAL, said Kano was carefully selected to host the engagement involving the seven states under the Hadejia-Jama’are Water Basin.
He said the Federal Project Management Unit, in collaboration with the World Bank, brought together traditional rulers, community representatives, academia and officials from the ministries of water resources, environment and agriculture to discuss common challenges affecting the basin.

Umar said the ACReSAL project, which covers 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory under a 700-million-dollar World Bank facility, was designed to accelerate implementation of Strategic Catchment Management Plans.

He listed deforestation, desertification, poor soil management, pollution, inadequate waste management, water scarcity, dam-related challenges and typha infestation among the major problems identified by participants.

Umar said the project would provide scientific and coordinated solutions to the challenges, describing the engagement as a demonstration of the commitment of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to addressing environmental degradation and climate-related problems in northern Nigeria.

He said the Hadejia-Jama’are Basin would serve as a model for coordinated efforts to tackle climate change and environmental challenges, stressing the importance of community participation and ownership of the solutions.

Also speaking, Rabiu Suleiman Bichi, Managing Director, Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin Development Authority, said the authority was facing challenges including typha infestation and sedimentation of dams, which affected water flow to irrigation areas.

Bichi said the authority was ready to collaborate with ACReSAL and other relevant agencies to clear waterways and desilt dams to ensure adequate water supply for irrigation, industrial and domestic purposes.

He said the recommendations from the engagement would be taken up with relevant authorities for immediate implementation.

“I like action; I don’t like talking. Too much talk is what is keeping us in one place,” Bichi said, expressing optimism about the commitment shown by the ACReSAL team and other stakeholders.

The engagement was attended by representatives of the seven states within the Hadejia-Jama’are Basin, traditional institutions, communities, academia and relevant federal and state ministries and agencies.