A technical session on the presentation and finalisation of the first phase of the developed Strategic Catchment Management Plans (SCMP) for the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscape (ACReSAL) states commenced on Monday in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, where stakeholders met to authenticate data collected during consultations.
This is in collaboration with the 19 northern states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and marks a huge milestone in the country’s efforts to address climate challenges.
The technical session is a follow up to an earlier stakeholders engagement in Kano and a similar one was held in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State to deliberate on the strategic management plan.
At the session, the National Project Coordinator of ACReSAL, Abdulhamid Umar emphasised on the importance of catchment-based planning, revealing that it is guided by natural hydrological flows than political boundaries.
Strategic Catchment Management Plan he says ensures that investments are streamlined to specific needs and natural resources of each catchment area, “so that investments will not be scattered without coordination or cohesion”.
“It requires a delineation, division of given communities, based on the availability of water force”.
He said water does not recognise political boundaries and to prevent conflicts between states, the catchment plans are scientifically developed, ensuring environmental sustainability.