In a bid to check the intensity of global warming, the Minister of Environment, Ibrahim Usman Jibril, has disclosed that the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project’s (NEWMAP), spread across nineteen states of the federation was not only stopping the erosion, but was also preventing further development of gullies.
The minister noted that the NEWMAP which is a subset of the World Bank’s $500m dollars grant to Nigeria is to ensure that the threat of deforestation and control of gully erosion is reduced to the barest minimum, which is also having a positive effect in the country.
Speaking to Vanguard at the World Bank’s Headquarters, Washington D.C, during Land and Poverty Conference 2017, with theme: ‘Responsible Land Governance – Towards an Evidence-Based Approach’, he noted that the poster presentation to the World Bank will demonstrate the efficacy of the NEWMAP to the world and others who want to replicate same in their country.
According to Jibril, Mnistry of the Environment decided to do a presentation on NEWMAP which is a World Bank programme, mainly about controlling erosion, in different ways of managing the water shade, stopping the gully erosion, and prevention of further development of gullies. The minister affirmed that the first step in its implementation was observing and studying the entire water shade, with the formation of remedial action, restoration of the soil, planting of grasses and trees to ensure that the soil is fully protected.
”With this protection, the soil is covered and the chances of letting it being exposed and therefore carried away by torrential rain will be minimal.
He averred that when the grass is covered, tree foliage will form a cushion when the rain drops, noting that if it is completely bare, the tendency for gully erosionwill be enomous. ”The Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) is a World Bank program and they are doling out about 500 million dollars to spread across to about nineteen states of the federation. It is mainly about controlling erosion, not only controlling the erosion but in a different way of managing the water shade so that it is not only stopping the gully erosion.
”They are also taking care of the entire shade in such a way that it will prevent further development of gullies. How do you do that? It is to look at the entire water shade, do remedial action, restore the soil, plant grasses, plant trees and make sure that the soil is fully protected once the soil is covered, the chances of letting will be minimal. There is need for advance warning to those living downstream. When there is excess water, the speed will increase, the volume of the water is so high and it will lead to the eroding of that area and then flooding will occur.
”When you have flooding, which is excess water in a particular place at a particular point in time and that is dangerous. After the destruction of lives and property, we have to take care of erosion. The Ministry of Environment is taking care of that to avoid such an occurrence.”
On measures to avoid the re-occurrence of erosion via the opening of the Camerounian Dam that occurred some few years ago, the minister said : ‘’There needs to be advance warning to those living downstream.”
Source: Nigeria Today
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