The Federal Ministry of Environment has Validated the Erosion and Flood Control Policy, emphasizing that it would enhance environmental sustainability, socio-economic growth and development.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry, Mahmud Adams Kambari disclosed this recently at the National Stakeholders’ Validation Workshop on National Erosion and Flood Control Policy held recently in Abuja.
Kambari stated that the calibres of people that are gathered to validate the document that has not been done for the past twenty years shows the success of the document, adding that the document has an input of the best brain across the country.
According to him, “National Erosion and Flood Control Policy (NEFCOP) was birthed in 2005 to address the challenges of erosion, flooding and coastal degradation and owing to the lapses of time and change circumstances, the Federal Ministry of environment embarked on the review of the Policy to strengthen the national framework for erosion and flood management,” he added.
He regrettably disclosed that environmental hazards have claimed many lives, displaced thousands of people, destroyed farmland, eroded physical infrastructure and undermined economy development.
He further said that erosion and flood challenges were not environmental issues but they are also developmental, social and economic challenges.
“This significant step marks a milestone in the environmental sector for the mutual efforts to institutionalize, coordinate evidence-based approach to erosion and flood management in the country,” he said.
“The validation represents a holistic national framework aimed at preventing and mitigating the impacts of erosion and flood, it also enhanced community resilience and adaptive capability and to align Nigeria environmental management efforts with global best practices,”
The Permanent Secretary imployed the participants to approach the document with great diligence and open mindedness.
“Let’s ensure that policies that accompany the document thoroughly reflect the national reality, address identified gaps and offer practical solutions,” he said.
Kambari however appreciated ACReSAL and other development partners for their timelines efforts for providing the very important document.
In his welcome address, the Director, Erosion, Flood and Coastal Zone Management Department (EFCZM), Usman Bokani stated that the workshop marks another critical milestone in collective effort to strengthen Nigerian for resilience against the persistent and devastating impact of erosion and flooding across the country.
Bokani disclosed that challenges posed by the Erosion and flooding keep undermining sustainable development.
He said the environmental hazards have become more intense due to the combined pressure of climate change, deforestation and poor land use practices and these perennial issues have called for a comprehensive and well coordinated national policy framework to effectively guide our mitigation and adaptation efforts.
Bokani stated that in order to tackle this menace the ministry of environment through the department of erosion, flood and coastal zone management department initiated the process of reviewing the national erosion and flood control policy and it’s associated document.
He said the validation workshop served as a formidable platform for an inclusive dialogue and consensus building among stakeholders by allowing them to critically examine and review policies, validate it’s provision and ensure it’s adequately address the need for aspirations of all relevant sectors.
Bokani therefore urged the participants to offer practical recommendations that Will enrich the policy and it’s implementation.
In his goodwill message, the National Project Coordinator of Agro-Climate Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscape (ACReSAL) Abdulhamid Umar congratulated the department for a job well done and hope that it would be a document that would be used effectively in order to control and checkmate issues that are related to environmental degradation.
Abdulhamid Umar who was represented at the event by Musa Shaibu stated that ACReSAL as an agency under the ministry of environment is doing similar things by providing instructional support for the review of the document and it would help in guiding how infrastructure are going to be constructed and maintain overtime.
He pledged an unalloyed support for the project and believes that the document would have consideration for structural and non-structural intervention that would guide people on how to avert environmental disasters.
Signed
Ibrahim Haruna
Director Information and Public Relations
