The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has warned that 362 vulnerable communities across 14 local government areas in Kano State are at high risk of severe flooding.
NEMA’s Director-General, Zubaida Umar, revealed this during a one-day stakeholders’ meeting in Kano on Thursday.
The meeting, themed “Enhancing Community Resilience through Effective Solid Waste Management and Proactive Flood Preparedness,” focused on downscaling 2024 flood early warning strategies for grassroots action.
Represented by NEMA’s Territorial Coordinator for Kano, Dr Nuraddeen Abdullahi, Umar cited predictions from the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), which estimated that 3,749,200 people in the state are at risk of flooding.
The affected local government areas include Rimin Gado, Tofa, Kabo, Madobi, Garun Malam, Bebeji, Rano, Dawakin Kudu, Warawa, Wudil, Sumaila, Ajingi, Kura, and Dala.
“The floods of 2012 and 2022 have underscored the urgent need for coordinated disaster risk management at all levels of government. With improper solid waste disposal exacerbating the flooding threat, it is crucial that we take early action to protect lives and livelihoods,” Umar emphasized.
The meeting also highlighted the importance of public sensitization on waste management and flood risk mitigation, particularly at the grassroots level.
NEMA has engaged in extensive planning, including a Stakeholders’ Technical Meeting and an Emergency Coordination Forum, to prepare for potential disasters.
Kano State Commissioner for Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation, Amina Abdullahi, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to safeguarding its people from disasters.
Represented by the Ministry’s Director of Disaster Management and Rapid Response, Mustafa Yunusa, Abdullahi praised the workshop’s organizers for their proactive approach.
Additionally, Amadu Haruna-Zago, Managing Director of the Kano State Refuse Management and Sanitation Board, urged residents to stop dumping refuse on roads and waterways, a practice that significantly contributes to flooding.
The workshop was organized by NEMA in collaboration with the Kano State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and the Kano State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.
NAN
