Yemi Kosoko in Jos
The World Bank and the Federal Government have superior plans to implement 20 Strategic Catchment Management Plans (SCMPs) throughout 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as a part of efforts to fight environmental degradation, strengthen local weather resilience and safe Nigeria’s water assets for future generations.
Speaking on the Stakeholders’ Engagement for the Implementation of Strategic Catchment Management Plans, World Bank Task Team Leader and Senior Environmental Specialist, Dr. Joy Iganya Agene, described ACReSAL as essentially a catchment administration venture designed to advertise built-in panorama administration past state and political boundaries.
Agene mentioned the plans symbolize the primary government-led watershed administration initiative undertaken at such scale in Nigeria and would supply a blueprint for sustainable administration of land, water and environmental assets.
According to her, environmental and hydrological methods are interconnected, making collaboration amongst states and communities important for long-term sustainability.
“What you do upstream affects what happens downstream. There are no state limits when it comes to water resources and environmental management,” she mentioned, urging stakeholders to embrace a shared imaginative and prescient for defending the atmosphere.
She additionally introduced that the World Bank had authorized a further $500 million financing package deal for ACReSAL over the following 4 years, bringing whole funding for the programme to about $1.2 billion, to make sure sustainability of ongoing investments and interventions.
Presenting the implementation overview of the Aloma-Konshisha Strategic Catchment Management Plan, Managing Director of MECON Geology and Engineering Services Ltd, Chuka Offodile, mentioned the catchment spans Benue, Kogi, Cross River, Ebonyi and Enugu States and faces rising threats from flooding, deforestation, erosion, land degradation and water air pollution.
He disclosed that forest cowl within the catchment declined considerably between 2017 and 2024, whereas agricultural enlargement and settlement development continued to position stress on ecosystems and water assets.
Offodile mentioned the plan seeks to revive degraded landscapes, strengthen water assets administration, promote climate-smart agriculture, enhance livelihoods and improve catastrophe preparedness via coordinated interventions involving governments, growth companions and communities.
He famous that profitable implementation would enhance water safety, increase agricultural productiveness, scale back flood and drought dangers, restore biodiversity and strengthen local weather resilience throughout the catchment.
As the session drew to a detailed, stakeholders agreed that the problem earlier than Nigeria is now not planning however implementation.
With 20 strategic catchment plans validated, a further $500 million in financing secured, and unprecedented collaboration amongst federal and state establishments, the main target now shifts to translating the blueprints into measurable outcomes.
For the World Bank, ACReSAL and taking part states, the last word purpose stays clear: restoring degraded landscapes, securing water assets, strengthening local weather resilience and making a more healthy atmosphere for hundreds of thousands of Nigerians right now and generations but unborn.
