Stakeholders Strengthened Collaborative Efforts to Combat Flooding Challenges

Folalumi Alaran in Abuja

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), and other key stakeholders have collectively decided to reinforce their collaboration in preparation for potential challenges stemming from the upcoming peak of the 2023 rainy season.

This unanimous decision was reached during a workshop held in Abuja on Wednesday, organized by the International Water Management Institute, aimed at fostering cooperation among stakeholders.

Directors-General of the respective agencies expressed concern about the considerable economic losses and loss of lives that Nigeria suffered due to flooding last year, despite prior warnings from relevant agencies. Clement Nze, represented by Aisha Ibrahim, Director of Hydro-Engineering at NIHSA, stressed the importance of public awareness in reducing the negative impacts of floods, which are a natural disaster.

Nze emphasized that by enhancing public understanding of flood risks and implementing effective mitigation measures, the detrimental effects of flooding can be minimized. He reiterated NIHSA’s commitment to providing dependable annual and seasonal flood forecasts to aid in planning proactive and responsive measures for flood events.

He conveyed gratitude to IWMI for convening this critical workshop, bringing together key players in flood forecasting, early warning systems, and disaster risk reduction to discuss strategies for strengthening anticipatory actions.

Ahmed Mustapha Habib, Director-General of NEMA, represented by Daniel Obot, Director of Disaster Risk Reduction, reiterated the urgent need to strategize and prevent the recurrence of the economic damages and loss of lives witnessed due to flooding in 2022.

Olufunke Cofie, IWMI’s Regional Representative for West Africa, highlighted that IWMI has developed a Framework for Climate-Resilient Water Management to incorporate resilience into decision-making across various domains for action.

Cofie emphasized the global increase in the frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall events and pointed out the projected intensification of extreme daily precipitation events with rising global temperatures. She also underscored the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing these challenges.

Dr. Giriraj Amarnath, Principal Researcher for Management and Climate Resilience, and Group Leader of Water Risk to Development and Resilience, emphasized the collective responsibility for flood mitigation. He commended the forecasting capabilities of agencies like NiMet and NIHSA but stressed the importance of effective data utilization among irrigation development stakeholders to mitigate flooding impacts.

Amarnath emphasized that this responsibility transcends individual departments and calls for comprehensive cooperation among relevant agencies to minimize flooding’s impact.

The workshop saw messages of goodwill from the Ministries of Environment, Agriculture, NiMet, and other stakeholders.