The Kaduna State Ministry of Environment has recorded 147 erosion sites across 11 local government areas of the state, Commissioner for Environment, Malam Jafaru Sani, has reveald.
Malam Sani who was represented by a director in the ministry, Yusuf Mu’azu, disclosed this at the Nigerian Erosion and Watershed Management Project’s (NEWMAP) stakeholders’ advocacy and sensitisation meeting with representatives from 15 LGAs of Kaduna.
According to the commissioner, the state government is working towards addressing gully erosion challenges and soil degradation in most of the communities affected.
He also said the 15 out of the state’s 23 LGAs for the NEWMAP project were selected based on their peculiar challenges from zone one to zone three, and that each of the LGAs was affected by soil degradation, climate change and economic status.
The NEWMAP Lead Focal Consultant, Dr Umaru Danladi Dahiru, commended the state government for making its counterpart payment, stressing that the World Bank would do same.
Dr Dahiru explained that NEWMAP was a World Bank project that planned and implemented measures to manage erosion, watersheds, disaster risk and climate impacts, adding that the project would uplift the livelihoods of the people in the selected LGAs.
NEWMAP Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Gideon Sache, in his presentation, said over 1,000 people would directly receive project advisory support services in integrated land, water management practices, planning and monitoring, adding that 25,000 exotic fruit seedlings would be planted on a total of 30 hectares as part of the project for the benefit of the people in the state.
Arewa Trust further reports that in 2020, many residents of Rigasa community in Igabi LGA lost their homes due to a gully erosion. The gully, which has formed a stream that channels rain water and further erodes the edges of the earth, has mostly affected areas such as Layin Couch by Makabarta; Kutungare Road; Garba Waziri Road and Yahaya Dan Galadima Road.
