Taraba ACReSAL Holds Stakeholders Meeting On Waste Management, Desilting Drainages
By Lynn Adda
A one day critical stakeholders forum to discuss waste management activities and desilting of existing drainages in major towns within the ACReSAL Micro Watershed/Catchment areas in Taraba State has been held in Jalingo, the Taraba State Capital.
Organised by the Management of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes, ACReSAL in Taraba State, the event was held at the Yukuben Hotels, Jalingo.
Participants were drawn from both the government and private sector, including relevant ministries, boards and parastatals.
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, the Taraba State ACReSAL Project Co’ordinator, Dr Clement Yakubu Giwa appreciated the turnout of participants, describing their presence as a call from ACReSAL for collaboration with the relevant stakeholders to keep Taraba State clean.
Dr Clement Yakubu Giwa
He stressed that ACReSAL as a government initiative, needs to collaborate with MDAs to fight climate change and enhance environmental sustainability.
While emphasising the importance of collaboration to achieve overall objectives, the Project Coordinator assured the participants that all deliberations will be put into action, calling on Tarabans to support AcReSAL for sustainable growth and development of the state.
In his presentation, the Environmental Safeguard Officer, Alhaji Dahiru Umar, who gave an overview of ACReSAL, said the Project Development Objective ( PDO) is to increase the adoption of sustainable landscape management practices in targeted watersheds in Northern Nigeria as well as to mitigate climate change and improve lives of the citizenry.
Alhaji Dahiru Umar
Declaring the Stakeholders Meeting open, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Waste Management and Resource Innovation, Mr Filibus Daniel Adamu, expressed concern over level of degradation of the environment in the state, calling for concerted efforts and collaboration with the relevant stakeholders including the media to check the negative trend.
Mr Filibus Daniel Adamu
While commending ACReSAL for the various successes recorded, he equally praised the Project for its steadfastness in supporting community development activities in the state.
He explained that the Ministry has a temporary refuse dumping site along Lankaviri road, off Kpantinapo round about, urging waste managers to always use the site for the dumbing of wastes.
At the end of the stakeholders meeting, which also deliberated on flood prone local government Areas and communities for interventions, far reaching recommendations were made by various committees to address the issues.
