A total of 500 people have been trained by the Gombe State Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project on rainwater harvesting techniques with the aim to harvest 4 billion litres, reduce runoff, and mitigate erosion.
The project, implemented through its focal NGO, Jewel Environmental Initiative, organised a one-day engagement with beneficiaries of rainwater harvesting activities within the Federal College of Education (Technical) catchment area in Gombe, which is the site of ACReSAL’s ambitious 21-kilometre gully control project, traversing over 19 distinct communities.
The engagement, held at the Usman Shehu Abubakar Hall of Gombe State University, was themed “Harvesting Hope: Sustainable Water Solutions for a Greener Future,” aiming to educate participants from the affected communities on best strategies for effective and efficient rainwater harvesting.
Declaring the engagement open on Monday, the State Project Coordinator of ACReSAL, Dr. Sani Adamu Jauro, commended the unwavering support of the Gombe State Government under the leadership of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya. He emphasised that the success of the intervention is a direct result of the governor’s visionary leadership and commitment to environmental sustainability.
According to him, “Governor Inuwa Yahaya is a staunch environmental advocate, deeply committed to preserving and protecting the state’s natural resources. He consistently champions people-centred interventions aimed at restoring the ecological integrity of the state’s environment.”
Sani Adamu explained that the engagement is an integral component of the watershed management plan, which involved the distribution of 450 water tanks, each with a capacity of 4,000 litres, across strategic locations within the upper catchment of the gully. “The plan focuses on reducing the volume of runoff, mitigating flooding and erosion, and ultimately preventing the loss of lives and property while preserving people’s safety and hygiene,” he stressed.
The State Project Coordinator expressed strong disapproval of individuals who are extorting money from beneficiaries or engaging in corrupt practices that undermine the project’s objectives and assured all stakeholders that ACReSAL will take decisive action to prevent such unethical behaviour.
Earlier in his welcome address, the CEO of Jewel Environmental Initiative, Mal. Ismail Bima Maigombawa, said the initiative is a build-up on earlier interventions where the ACReSAL project distributed water tanks to members of the affected communities. According to him, “We therefore deemed it relevant to engage 500 beneficiaries and teach them the best practices to adopt in proper water harvest towards reducing the accumulation of runoff to reduce erosion, flooding, and other aspects of land degradation.”
He stressed that “it will also help in reducing the cost of supplying potable water for drinking and other domestic uses.” He cautioned the participants against selling the properties given, as they belong to the communities, and individuals are just custodians.
In his remarks, the Senior District Head of Gombe, represented by Alhaji Musa Abubakar, Marafan Shamakin Gombe, commended the state government and the ACReSAL project for their impactful interventions that are positively improving the lives of the communities. He urged the participants and the general public to refrain from indiscriminate disposal of solid waste, particularly in drainage systems, as this contributes significantly to flooding. The Senior District Head encouraged the beneficiaries of the distributed water harvesting materials to utilise them effectively and efficiently to achieve the intended purpose.
The engagement session featured presentations by Dr. Danladi Aliyu, SLO of JEI, on “Rainwater Harvesting Strategies: A Case Study of the FCE(T) Gombe Gully Intervention Corridor,” and Kabiru Audu, SMO ACReSAL, on “Grievance Redress Mechanism Reporting Pathways.”
In his presentation, Dr Danladi Aliyu explained that the initiative aims to intercept and utilise an average of 1.6 million litres of rainwater on a rainy day, which translates to approximately 88 million litres annually. “Over a 50-year period, the project could potentially harvest a total of 4 billion litres of rainwater, which could significantly mitigate the impact of rainfall on erosion and other associated environmental problems,” he added.
The session also included a lively discussion and Q&A segment, where participants shared their experiences, raised relevant questions, and offered valuable suggestions for improving the initiative. “The initiative targets 1.6 million litres on any rainy day. About 88 million litres annually could be intercepted and used as harvested rainwater under the project, and in 50 years, a total of 4 billion litres could be harvested,” Dr Danladi explained.
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