The Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) programme has urged Bauchi residents to embrace good environmental and sanitation habits to forestall flood disaster in the state.

The project coordinator, Ibrahim Kabir, said this at a stakeholders’ engagement exercise on Tuesday in Bauchi.

He said the exercise was designed to enhance awareness creation on flood preparedness and response to mitigate flooding and protect the environment, lives and livelihoods.

Mr Kabir said the engagement exercise was a first-line action employed by the programme following the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA)’s national flood advisory, which predicted flooding in 17 local government areas of the state.

He said the prediction indicated flooding would affect 1,845 communities, 145 schools, 101 healthcare facilities and eight markets across the state.

The coordinator said Governor Bala Mohammed directed ACReSAL to liaise with the Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA), State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and other line ministries, agencies and departments (MDAs) to upscale flood preparedness and response.

Mr Kabir said the exercise would enable the participants, including community and religious groups, development organisations, media and MDAs, to engage in rigorous sensitisation, discussions and pre-disaster training.

“It is envisaged that the outcome of the stakeholder engagement will guide the subsequent actions, as all involved will share experiences and provide a peculiar roadmap for the state,” he said.

Danlami Kawulle, the state Commissioner for Housing and Environment, said the state government successfully mitigated flooding through similar stakeholder engagements during previous rainy seasons.

He said the state government has adopted proactive climate resilience initiatives to mitigate floods, control erosion, and protect lives and properties.

While commending Governor Bala Mohammed for his commitment to environmental protection, Mr Kawulle pledged to cooperate with groups, communities and the media to prevent flood disasters in the state.

Also, Aminu Nayola, executive secretary of SEMA, said the agency had scaled up community sensitisation as part of measures to avert the disaster.

He said the agency was collaborating with NEMA and other agencies to enhance flood response services.

Similarly, Mohammed Bose, director-general of BASEPA, said the agency had evacuated solid waste and cleared drains in the Bauchi metropolis to control flooding.

Mr Bose urged residents of the state to shun indiscriminate dumping of waste, erecting structures on waterways, and planting trees to protect the environment.

On his part, Umar Sa’idu, chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Bauchi council, pledged media support to control flooding and other environmental hazards in the state.

(NAN)