The Bauchi State Emergency Management Agency (BASEMA) and stakeholders in disaster management brainstormed on plans to mitigate the flooding predicted for Bauchi and its environs by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) 2024.
Mr Mashud Aliyu, The Director General of the Agency stated this at the meeting with critical stakeholders on proactive measures under the current flood prediction and way forward on Thursday in Bauchi.
He said the Agency is worried by the 2024 seasonal climate prediction, which has predicted impending floods in some states, calling for proactive measures and early preparations to mitigate the coming disaster.
According to him, as emergency managers, we must always strive to develop clear and practical early warning systems that will enable our partners and the public to match early warning with early action to avert loss of lives and severe disaster impacts across socio-economic sectors.
“This becomes necessary in the face of ever-growing climatic and extreme weather events as powered by climate change and variability across the world,” he said.
He said he was optimistic that today’s meeting has become more relevant and timely in consideration of our recent experiences of widespread floods and related disasters that have affected several local government areas last year.
He mentioned the most flood-prone local government areas include Bauchi, Toro Ganjuwa, Jama’are, Zaki, Itas Gadau, Warji, Shira Katagum, Misau, Giade Gamawa, and Kirfi.
Also Speaking, Dr Mahmud Bose Director General, Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA) said the meeting is timely to prepare ahead in the state.
He urged the stakeholders to engage in aggressive afforestation and avoid cutting down trees in the state.
Bose said his agency is embarking on vigorous monthly sanitation clearing of drainages across the state as parts of the proactive measures.
He lamented the lack of logistics and needed equipment to facilitate the exercise.
On his part, Mr Abdullahi Danasabe from the Ministry of Health noted that the sector is always at the receiving end.
“Because floods come with challenges such as communicable diseases, food shortage, malnutrition, starvation among others that overstretch health facilities,” he said.
Danasabe, however, called for establishing a steering committee that would facilitate the mitigation of flooding in the state.
Stakeholders at the meeting included the Relevant Ministries Departments and Agencies State, the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Red Cross, Religious leaders, and Media among others.
