Rainy season: FG moves to contain flooding

The Federal Government has commenced the process of managing high water flows from rivers and areas prone to flooding, within the country as a result of the rainy season.

Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, disclosed this during his presentation of the 2018 Annual Flood Outlook by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agencies in Abuja.

This is even as he urged Nigerians, especially those living in flood-prone areas, to take the warnings and information contained in the flood alert seriously.

According to him, part of the measures put in place to manage flooding included construction of Kashimbilla dam designed to contain eventual break of Lake Nyos, reservoirs, artificial lakes and buffers, barriers, irrigation facilities and other structural controls.

He further said the government had mapped out plans to improve and sustain urban drainage systems in most cities.

Other measures included: “flood mapping, flood vulnerability studies and flood sensitisation and awareness campaigns,” he said.

The minister expressed the timeliness of the 2018 Flood Outlook presentation, themed: Towards a More Robust Flood Prediction in Nigeria, stating that “We can, however, manage these extreme events in such a manner that their deleterious effects are mitigated and become less devastating.

“Nigeria is also working with the Niger Basin Authority, the Lake Chad Basin Commission, Nigeria-Cameroon Joint Commission and the Nigeria-Benin Joint Commission, to facilitate the pursuance of shared visions and effective management of water resources.”