By Fatima Saka
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has called on the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) for collaboration in executing a multinational project which incorporates Nigeria.
The IWMI Senior Researcher, Dr Sander Zwart, made this disclosure last week, as he and his team visited the NiMet Headquarters.
Zwart revealed that they were about to embark on a huge project called CLiMO, “We have this project coming up, it is called the CLiMO. It is led by the German Development Cooperation (GIZ).
“The goal is to assist member states of the Niger Basin Authority to be more climate resilient and of course Nigeria is part of the Niger Basin,” he asserted.
He further explained that based on the information obtained online as well as consultations they discovered that flood and droughts were major challenges, especially after last year’s flood.
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The researcher said that this would lead them to develop activities that would ensure people were better prepared for floods now and in the future.
To achieve this, he revealed that there were four components they had proposed for the project and that as their institution would drive the project, they were keen to have NiMet’s input.
Therefore, he listed these components to be hydrological modelling; flood forecasting; data sharing and underground actions that involved how people could adapt themselves to flood.
In his response, the Director Weather Forecasting Services, Engr. Mailadi Yusuf, who represented the Director General of NiMet, assured the visitors of NiMet’s support, adding that NiMet is in close collaboration with Federal and State Ministries of Water Resources where the lead sister Agency that develops the Annual Flood Outlook (NiHSA) for the country is resident.
He disclosed that apart from predicting water availability for farming activities (onset of rain, duration and amount expected ) NiMet would soon engage water users across the country on dry season (irrigation) farming activities by delivering and training them on the use of the Seasonal Climate Prediction for optimal harvest outputs.
The CLiM O project, when fully implemented, will support the member states of the Niger Basin Authority in strengthening transboundary governance of water resources, adaptation and mitigation of the impact of climate change.
However, the IWMI will lead the design and implementation of the project in the Benue River Basin.
