Rebecca Mu’azu, Gombe
In a concerted effort to tackle environmental challenges and protect vital water and land resources, representatives from the six North East states and Plateau gathered in Gombe to develop macro strategic catchment management plans for the Gongola, Gali-Lamurde, and Hawal-Kilunga basins.
The engagement, held under the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project, drew participants from Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe, and Borno States.
Community leaders, policymakers, environmental experts, and civil society groups came together to address environmental degradation, flooding, and water resource management, while strengthening regional collaboration across Northern Nigeria.
The National Project Coordinator of ACReSAL, Abdulhamid Umar, explained that the meeting was aimed at producing a documented plan that could guide community-based interventions and investment within the river basins.
“Our definition of human existence within a watershed is that communities themselves should outline their problems in a simple and accessible plan. This plan will serve as a reference for international donors, governments, or private investors to direct their interventions wisely to support the people living within these watersheds,” said Umar.
He stressed that sustainable water and land management were central to human survival, highlighting ACReSAL’s interventions in Northern Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, such as solar-powered electricity, boreholes, agricultural inputs, and erosion control measures.
Umar added that while ACReSAL’s timeline and scope were limited, communities needed to identify their priorities so that future investors, whether governments, donors, or private individuals, could act on a dependable strategic framework.
The Gombe State Commissioner for Water, Environment, and Forest Resources, Mohammed Saidu Fawu, emphasised the basins’ importance to ecosystems, livelihoods, and economies.
He warned, however, that they faced severe threats from climate change, population growth, and unsustainable land use.
Mr. Fawu praised Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State for his environmental stewardship through the flagship Gombe Goes Green (3G) initiative, which has overseen the planting of more than five million trees in the last five years.
He also commended ACReSAL’s integrated approach, with projects such as gully stabilisation, bioremediation, and afforestation helping to restore degraded landscapes.
The Gombe State Project Coordinator of ACReSAL, Dr. Sani Adamu Jauro, said the six-year project was designed to restore the environment, curb desertification, stabilise gullies, and boost agriculture to strengthen food security.
Jauro added that the development of Strategic Catchment Management Plans was one of the most critical outcomes of ACReSAL’s mandate, describing the plans as an “indispensable platform” for implementing sustainable livelihood activities.
“The gathering in Gombe is specifically to advance work on the Gongola, Gali-Lamurde, and Hawal-Kilunga catchments, ensuring that international best practices are applied to harness the region’s abundant water resources,” said Jauro.