KEBBI, WORLD BANK BEGIN GULLY EROSION, FLOOD CONTROL WORKS IN BIRNIN KEBBI
Residents of Badariya and Dukku Malala communities in Birnin Kebbi metropolis are set to benefit from new erosion and flood control projects aimed at protecting homes, farmlands, roads and livelihoods from the growing impact of environmental degradation.
The Kebbi State Government, in collaboration with the World Bank-supported Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes, ACRESAL, Project, has commenced major gully erosion control and bio-engineering works in the affected communities.
The intervention is expected to benefit more than 50,000 residents, particularly people whose homes, agricultural lands and businesses have been exposed to the damaging effects of gully erosion and flooding.
The State Commissioner for Environment, Alhaji Musa Tungulawa, disclosed this during a press conference in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital.
He explained that the projects are being implemented by the State Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the Kebbi ACRESAL Project, with support from the World Bank.
According to him, the intervention covers four erosion control and bio-engineering sites. Two sites are located in Badariya Community under Lot One, while another two are in Dukku Malala Community under Lot Two.
The commissioner said the contracts for the projects had been awarded to a construction company operating in Nigeria.
For communities that have watched gullies expand and floodwaters damage productive land over the years, the intervention is expected to provide more than environmental protection. It is also designed to safeguard livelihoods and restore land that residents depend on for farming and other economic activities.
Tungulawa said the projects would help control the expansion of gullies, reduce flooding and address soil degradation that has affected homes, farmlands, roads, businesses and other community assets.
He added that the works would restore and reclaim degraded lands, particularly agricultural and Fadama areas, through improved storm-water management, water harvesting and controlled channelling.
Beyond controlling erosion, the commissioner said the projects are expected to improve water availability and agricultural productivity, restore livelihoods, protect critical infrastructure and strengthen the ability of communities to withstand flooding, erosion and other climate-related challenges.
The intervention, he noted, would also create safer living conditions and support sustainable socio-economic activities by restoring productive lands and reducing environmental risks.
Tungulawa assured Project Affected Persons, PAPs, that adequate arrangements had been made under the Resettlement Action Plan, RAP, to ensure that eligible affected persons are properly identified, assessed and compensated.
The projects form part of broader efforts to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities while tackling environmental challenges that increasingly threaten livelihoods and infrastructure across the country.Suggested hashtags:
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