Bayelsa Coastal erosion: Senate tasks Ministry of Environment, stakeholders on shoreline reclamation
The Senate has urged the Ministries of Environment, and other stakeholders to urgently evaluate the extent of damage and execute shoreline reclamation and protection projects in some parts of Bayelsa affected by coastal erosion.
The affected communities include Anyama, Odioama, Twon-Brass and Sangana communities in Bayelsa East Senatorial District.
The resolution was sequel to a motion by Sen. Degi-Eremienyo Biobarakuma (APC-Bayelsa) during Tuesday’s plenary.
The motion was tagged “Urgent need to reclaim and protect Shorelines at Anyama, Twon-Brass, Odioama and Sangana communities devastated by coastal erosion in Bayelsa East Senatorial District”.
Moving the motion, Biobarakuma said that coastal erosion had been a menace, causing devastation, threatening the very existence of coastal communities in the state.
He said that there was difference between coastal erosion and general erosion like gully.
“Coastal erosion is when the Atlantic Ocean eats deep into the communities.”
The lawmaker said that coastal erosion had not been adequately addressed by successive administrations at the Federal and State levels since independence.
“Several communities in the senatorial district had been washed away due to neglect and lack of attention to deal with the devastation of coastal erosion
“The communities had experienced coastal erosion to the extent of their shorelines receding from 100 to 300 metres into the communities over the years.”
The lawmaker further said that the menace had currently created serious ecological disaster and untold social and economic hardship to people of the communities.
He said their homes, farmlands, economic trees, vital government infrasctructure such as roads were being washed away.
“In some cases, even crude oil and gas facilities, especially pipelines along communities’ shorelines are not spared from coastal erosion, thereby constituting great danger to the host communities.”
