Flood: NEMA cautions communities in Zamfara, Sokoto , Kebbi states

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) under the auspices of NEMA Sokoto Operations office embarks on sensitization and awareness campaign to ensure adequate emergency preparedness, mitigation and response to a flood disaster.

Worried by the repetitive nature of flooding for more than a decade, NEMA has discovered that for planning any flood management measures, reliable, accurate, timely information, publicity, sensitization and awareness campaigns are required to reduce the anticipated impacts, to this end.

The Director-General, NEMA, AVM Muhammad Alhaji Mohammed who was represented by the Head of Planning, Research and Forecasting Unit, Tukur Abubakar stated that the agency is taking bold steps to tackle the impending likely flood incidents that may occur as predicted by NIMET.

He said the predicted normal rainfall may result in flash flooding particularly in the North West which, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi states falls in here. Hence, there is need for sensitization of NEMA, and other relevant agencies.

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“The remote causes of flood includes construction on waterways, constant indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainages especially polythene bags and non-distilling of drainages which led to blockage of waterways is one of the associated major risk factors in floods.” He added.

The aims and objectives of the sensitization and awareness campaign which was held in Gusau are: to sensitize the communities living in the flood-prone areas, to pay advocacy visits to the relevant states, MDAs and DRUs in the respective areas, to inspect the available high and safe grounds for possible utilization as IDPs camp when needed and to encourage people living along the flood plains and waterways to relocate to safe areas during the peak of the rains.

Others are to assess the impact of damage on the communities already ravaged by the flooding and to identify relevant stakeholders to ascertain their level of preparedness.

On his part, Commissioner of Environment, Zamfara state, Dr. Nurudeen Isah and the SA to the state Governor on Humanitarian Affairs and Management, Faika Marshall led the sensitization campaign team to the exercise.