Water Resources Ministry Seeks Partnership To Clean Jabi Lake

The Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has expressed commitment to partner relevant agencies to clean up the Jabi lake in the Federal Capital Territory.

Minister of State for Water, Resources, and Sanitation, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, stated this during a progress report presentation in Abuja.

Goronyo expressed concern over the diminishing Eco-hydrological value of the lake, attributing it to encroachment by miscreants and vandals.

He emphasized the urgency of halting unauthorized activities threatening the water body and its ecosystem to preserve it for future water supply and demand.

The Minister highlighting the challenges faced by the Eco-hydrology research team, stated that increased building structures around the lake hinder access to its shorelines.

He assured stakeholders of his commitment to reach out and partner stakeholders to address these threats and protect the Jabi Lake.

On his part, Chairman of the regional Center for Integrated River Basin Management, Professor Adanu, in his presentation emphasized the need for addressing identified threats and security challenges in the Jabi area.

In his remark, the Coordinator of Training and Education at the RC-IRBM Project Desk Office, Dr. Sani Dauda Ahmed, during his presentation revealed that Jabi Lake, faces escalating threats due to the rapid increase in urbanization and socio-economic activities in its vicinity.

He added that this poses a significant risk to the lake and its delicate ecosystem noting that recognizing the urgency of addressing these challenges has led to the adoption of Eco-hydrology (EH) as a crucial strategy for Jabi Lake, through  integrating EH principles.

Dr. Ahmed stressed that there is a potential to gain valuable insights into the threats confronting the water body and devise effective approaches to mitigate them.

He explained that the rationale for embracing Eco-hydrology for Jabi Lake is multifaceted as firstly, it serves as a means to tackle the Water Resources Management challenges that are impacting the lake and its surrounding ecosystems.

Dr. Ahmed who also revealed that the lake play a role as a habitat for migratory birds, added that EH practices aim to preserve the lake’s ecosystem hence establishing Jabi Lake as a model for Eco-hydrology in Nigeria becomes pivotal for knowledge exchange and briefings among Water Resources stakeholders.

By Georgina Humphrey, Edited By Grace Namiji