The federal government has called for more innovative solutions that will reposition the water resources and sanitation sector in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev made this call at the opening of a three-day Top Management Retreat in Abuja.

The theme of the retreat is, “Strategic Planning for Achieving Ministerial Mandate.’’

Utsev, represented by his Minister of State, Alhaji Bello Goronyo, said the retreat was an opportunity to share experiences, best practices, and innovative solutions to strengthen water governance in Nigeria

According to him, Nigeria can build a future where every citizen has access to clean water and sanitation services, and the environment thrives for generations to come.

He said Nigeria was faced with numerous challenges, from population growth to climate change, and it was the ministry’s duty to rise above these challenges and find innovative solutions.

“I believe that through knowledge collaboration, we can develop strategies and action plans that will lead to tangible improvements in the sector across the country.

“I am confident that this retreat will not only equip us to meet the challenges of our expanded mandate, but will also strengthen our resolve to create positive change in the water resources and sanitation sector.

“Therefore, let us work together to ensure that Nigerians have access to clean water, proper sanitation facilities, and sustainable irrigation practices for a healthier and more prosperous future,’’ he said.

Utsev gave an insight into activities to promote improved access to clean water and sanitation, dam and irrigation, climate change, and flood management.

He said the issues were being addressed in alignment with the eight presidential target areas, adding that the retreat was an important step towards achieving them.

The minister urged the participants to develop strategies and plans that would reposition the ministry’s policies, saying it should be in line with the expanded mandate and shared vision for a better future.

He also urged them to push aside sentiments and ensure that the ministry’s Standard Operating Procedures, vision, mission, mandates, and functions aligned properly with the present administration’s focus areas.

Dr Dahiru Hashim, the Kano State coordinator of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes, ACReSAL, Dr Dahiru Hashim, says the project is to recover and restore lost landscapes arising from natural causes and human activities.

Hashim made this known while addressing newsmen in Kano.

”We are committed to addressing the environmental challenges that affect the state such as drylands, erosion and flooding, land degradation and issues that affect the livelihood of communities which is mainly agriculture.

”The ACReSAL project is anchored on four broad components that speak essentially to the demand of the poor whose livelihoods have been distressed,” he said.

Hashim also said that the ACReSAL project has drilled solar powered boreholes and established tree nurseries in some local government areas of the state.

The intervention would boost agriculture and improve the standard of living of the people while the tree nurseries would help to combat desertification and soil erosion.

He expressed the commitment of the state in improving and protecting the Kano environment with priority and attention to the sector on issues of biodiversity conservation and restoration of degraded lands.

“ACReSAL plans to undertake erosion control work in Rarin, Dawakin Tofa and Bulbula/Gayawa, Nassarawa and Ungogo Local government areas.

“Construction of water conservation structure and provision of minor irrigation facilities in ‘Yartiti, Shanono and construction of water conservation structure and provision of minor irrigation facilities in Fajewa, Takai Local government area.

“Establishment of 100ha individual farmer orchards and Woodlot plantations, 200ha of woodlot in communal forests and institutional plantings.
“440ha farmer managed natural regeneration of indigenous tree species on individual farm lands and communal forests and promotion of climate smart agriculture through FLID and CRF among others,” he said

The ACreSAL project is embarked on by the Federal Government to build community resilience as well as improve the sustainable productivity of its natural resources in Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Plateau, Adamawa, Taraba, Niger, Kwara and Kaduna.

Great Bird Island is a very small islet which is located to the northeastern part, around 3 km (1 mi) from the island of Antigua that forms the island sovereign state in the Caribbean, Antigua and Barbuda.

This interesting islet, even though privately owned, it is open to the general public, and it allows visitors to come and see the flora and fauna, as well as swim on one of the two main beaches.

Covering an area of about 81,000 sq m (871,877 sq ft), Great Bird Island is smaller when compared to other parks that are found in the island nation, nonetheless, it has a significant importance for the wildlife.

Among the most important species that can be found here roaming free and nowhere in the world is the harmless rear-fanged snake, the Antiguan racer.

There is a great number of tourists that come here every year, and that number is slowly increasing, this miniature heaven was named by the sailors who were mesmerized by the enormous number of birds that they found living and nesting here.

Among those bird species that are nesting and living here are: brown pelicans, West Indian whistling ducks and red-billed tropic birds. In addition, there is also a near-threatened lizard, Pholidoscelis griswoldi, that is endemic to the both islands of the Caribbean nation.

All of the wildlife was endangered due to the presence of the omnivore black rat who caused some damage, but it was not as significant as it sounds, and was present here until recently.

Certainly, another famous feature are the sugar sand beaches, especially popular the North and South Beaches, which are offering tranquil, secluded environment that should not be missed whenever in the area.

All in all, even though Great Bird Island does not enjoy great commercial attention, it is perhaps hidden from the mass media in order to be protected from a devastation that could happen any given moment, so it is definitely a true paradise on Earth that should be considered as a really interesting one, if not compelling public secret.

• Good stabilized and tested subgrade, sub-base and base-course before pavement placement.
• Expose subgrade, sub-base and base-course to 60 days vehicular movement and continuous sheep-foot rolling before pavement placement.
• Introduction of reinforced concrete road pavement in most roads carriageway and shoulders.
• Continuous maintenance of all roads under construction throughout the life of the project under contract.
• Effective design of road infrastructure anchored on detailed report of environmental site conditions and geotechnical report.
• Community relations in Terms of keeping roads Motorable under the period of the contract.

– David Umahi

A Norwegian firm, Fluenta, has announced the completion of work on the Africa’s biggest oil refining facility, the Dangote Refinery in Nigeria, with the installation of 18 ultrasonic flare gas meters on large pipelines around the plant.

The company which prides itself as a global leader in ultrasonic sensing technology for measurement of flare gas, in a statement made available in Abuja, said that the move will help accurate emissions monitoring on the plant.

Fluenta , which has offices globally, noted that Nigerian authorities have recently been leading the charge in the control and regulation of flaring gas and looking towards eliminating the need for routine flaring over the next few years, with a key component in the challenge being accurate measurement.

It is believed that the refinery will help the country towards energy self-sufficiency, since it currently imports refined petroleum products for its use, even though it is Africa’s biggest oil producer.

The world’s largest single-train refinery is capable of refining 650,000 barrels of oil per day, enough to meet Nigeria’s daily fuel supply requirements, with daily surplus of 38 million litres of refined products, already earmarked for export.

“Nigeria is positioning itself as a world leader when it comes to reducing its emissions, and flaring – the controlled burning or combustion of excess or waste gases that cannot be processed or captured for productive use – is a safety and environmental practice employed in the petroleum industry to prevent release of potentially harmful or combustible gases into the atmosphere.

“Flare measurement in a refinery is essential, from a regulatory and environmental law compliance perspective, and for accurate emissions monitoring,” it stated on the usefulness of the devices.

The statement added that Fluenta spent more than four months working with its exclusive Nigerian representative, Daptem Engineering, and the Dangote project team to deliver a workable, accurate and reliable flare measurement solution.

“Whilst it’s not unusual to have high levels of customisation associated with such installations, the wide variety and sizes of pipelines, which ranged from 18 to 90 diameters, presented a unique engineering challenge.

“Larger pipelines make it difficult to measure accurately as the acoustic pulse has further travel which could weaken it and lead to less accurate readings. In addition, flared gas expelled through these pipelines is high in CO2, a particularly difficult gas to measure using ultrasonic technology.

“The team implemented a multitude of innovative, bespoke solutions, each considered on a case-by-case basis, to ensure accuracy of the system,” Fluenta stated.

It noted that under current Nigerian law, companies refining oil and gas must pay a ‘tax’ for flared gas, to encourage an overall reduction in flaring, underlining the importance of Fluenta’s accurate, trustworthy flare measurement and management.

A Director at Fluenta, Radek Kurkowski, while highlighting the innovative measures to bring the work to fruition, reiterated that flare gas measurement and control remain vital to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and to help identify potential safety hazards.

“This is especially true at a plant on this never-before-seen scale and with the world’s largest flare pipe.

“Delivering this solution meant some close work with our local partner and the client project team, and we are delighted with the end result – which will support bringing energy security to Nigeria and the wider Africa region.“

Our team used a range of state-of-the-art technology, adapted meter software and special pipe gaskets and ball valves to deliver the pipe flare gas measurement solution,” he explained.

Kurkowski pointed out that Fluenta’s work stands as testament to the power of innovation, creative team work and a desire to always meet the client’s needs.“ We are extremely proud to support the domestic security of energy supply in Nigeria,” he added.

The statement stressed that the company has deep experience of working in Africa, noting that in 2017, the it was approached by an International Oil Company (IOC) working in Nigeria, who were looking for a reliable flare measurement solution.

“Fluenta developed bespoke solutions in response to the IOC’s requirements, which were installed in 2019. Since then, the IOC has ordered an additional 32 Fluenta flare measurement meters.“Fluenta has now been awarded preferred supplier status and all flare gas flowmeters on the IOC’s assets have been replaced (or are in the replacement process) with the Fluenta solution,” it added.

The firm boasts of more than 30 years’ expertise in the technology, including thousands of deployments, often in some of the most challenging environments in the world, the statement said.

The pace at which our commitment to the industrialization of our dear Imo State is yielding projected results is quite impressive as I received the Hydrographic and Comprehensive Bathymetric / Investigative Survey Report of the Charting of the Oguta Lake to the Atlantic Ocean.

I commended the Chief of Naval Staff; Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, the Hydrographer of Nigerian Navy; Rear Admiral Ayo Olugbode, who presented the report and indeed, the Nigerian Navy for this painstaking assignment and their dedication to the success of the project.

As work continues at the Oguta Lake, the State Government will further study the report together with the
@NigerianNavy
and the consortium partners for professional decisions in the project.

– Hope Uzodimma

Oguta Lake is a lean ‘finger lake’ formed by the damming of the lower Njaba River with alluvium. It is the largest natural lake in Imo State, Southeastern Nigeria; within the equatorial rainforest region of Niger Delta.

Oguta Lake’s catchment area comprises the drainage area of the Njaba River and a part of the River Niger floodplain in the region south of Onitsha.

Location

The lake is situated in Oguta about 50 kilometres (30 mi) from the junction of the Ndoni and Orashi River.

It is about eight kilometres (5 mi) long from east to west and 2.5 kilometres (1+1⁄2 mi)wide.

The stream from Njaba River is the major inflow to Oguta Lake. The other three tributaries are Awbana, Utu and Orashi.

The Orashi River flows past Oguta Lake in its southwestern portion.

Urashi River takes off as a stream, from the rocks, at the base of a waterfall, 183 m above mean sea level, in the Urashi enclave of Ezeama in Dikenafai, Imo State.

Urashi region is in the rainforest zone, southeastern Nigeria.[1] Crop cultivation, Oil Palm and fishing are the major occupation of the people and source of livelihood.

The zone may be termed an ‘oil palm bush.’ The forest zone is characterized by abundance of plant species, sometimes exceeding 150 different species per hectare.

From its source down to the Atlantic, the river supports several fishermen and provides means of liveli-hood for their families.

Urashi Region, which includes Njaba River basin, holds over 35% of the oil wells in the Niger Delta states of Imo and Rivers.

Farmers battling drought in India’s southern state of Karnataka began a day-long strike on Friday to protest against the sharing of water from a river that also runs through the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu.

Police urged calm with all schools and public places staying shut, as thousands of farmers and trade union members held rallies after protests began this week in the tech hub of Bengaluru, against an order from the Supreme Court to share the waters.

“We will not let water from our river enter into the other state at a time when our farmlands are barren,” said T. Ramanujan, the leader of a farmers’ union in Karnataka.

With millions of farmers dependent on the river Cauvery for irrigation in both states, the dispute over sharing its waters has been one of the long-standing legal battles.

In August the Tamil Nadu government approached the Supreme Court, requesting its intervention, while Karnataka argued that it had inadequate water in its reservoirs due to low rainfall.

Street protests began this week after the court directed Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of river water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days this month. A cusec is a volume equivalent to one cubic foot, or 28 cubic litres, per second.

Protesters in Bengaluru chanted “ours, ours, Cauvery is ours,” slogans and called for police and government officials to join the protest

Scores of people and some children from distressed districts carried placards with signs that said “We will give our blood but not water.”

The government of Tamil Nadu says Karnataka had failed to manage the river and it must limit over-consumption of the shared resource.

“I have sown seeds but the ground is dry due to scanty rainfall and now we have shortage of supply from Cauvery river,” said S. Kumar, a 48-year-old farmer in the state’s district of Pudukkottai. “Small farmers are struggling this year.”

The Cauvery originates in the Karnataka region of Talakaveri and flows through Tamil Nadu before entering the Bay of Bengal.

Officials at an industry body in Karnataka said over 60% of manufacturing plants adhered to the call for strike, a decision that cost them about four billion Indian rupees (over $48 million).

“Nevertheless, we readily accept our losses because we accept that water is crucial for both sustaining life and food production,” said Ramesh Chandra Lahoti, President at Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Water Shortage in Bolivia: A prolonged drought and one of the hottest winters on record is threatening to leave parts of the South American country short of water, including in the high-altitude city of El Alto, some 4,000 meters above sea level.

Bertha Apaza, a local resident, said the extreme heat was a clear sign of shifting climates that had now forced the city to ration water use.

“We have schedules to receive water, we don’t have enough to cook or wash clothes, much less take a shower,” she said.

Bolivia has experienced some of the most extreme temperatures in August and September, which are usually temperate months.

Neighboring Brazil, Paraguay and Peru have also experienced unusual late winter and early spring heat waves, with temperatures at all-time records in the Southern Hemisphere, including large parts of southeastern Australia.

Some once fertile areas across the western region of Bolivia have been reduced to dust. Many of those living in El Alto, a city of around one million people, come from farming communities raising livestock and planting vegetables to survive.

The dry spell has taken a heavy toll on Catalina Mancilla, who recently saw some of her farm animals die of thirst, before the local government set up a community water tank.

“We can now drink water and my animals will also drink enough water,” she said.

Authorities remain confident that water reserves will last until December when the rainy season usually arrives, though hundreds of thousands of families and vast swathes of crop and cattle farmland has already been impacted.

Members of the scientific community warn the situation could become critical with the El Nino weather pattern set to arrive in December, potentially altering the forecast and turning up the temperature.

“We are facing a very, I don’t want to use the word dangerous, but worrying situation,” said Oscar Paz, an expert in climate change and professor at the Universidad Mayor de San Andres, adding the El Nino could last for two years.

El Nino can prompt extreme weather events from wildfires to cyclones and droughts in some areas and more rainfall in others.

A key stretch of the lower Mississippi River dropped this week to within inches of its lowest-ever level and is expected to remain near historic lows just as the busiest U.S. grain export season gets underway, according to the National Weather Service.

Low water has slowed hauling of export-bound corn and soybean barges over recent weeks as shippers lightened loads to prevent vessels from running aground and reduced the number of barges they haul at one time to navigate a narrower shipping channel.

The water woes come at the worst possible time for U.S. farmers as newly harvested corn and soybeans are beginning to flood the market and as stiff market competition from Brazil has already eroded once-dominant U.S. exports.

Portions of the river have been closed 22 times since Sept. 1 for dredging or to remove barges that have run aground, and at least 36 groundings have been reported, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The Mississippi River dropped to a reading of -10.62 feet on the Memphis, Tennessee, gauge on Thursday, just above its all-time low of -10.81 feet on October 21 last year, according to NWS data.

The river is expected to remain below the -10 foot mark into at least mid-October, according to the latest forecast, creating a choke point between heavy production areas in the Midwest and Gulf Coast terminals, where around 60% of U.S. grain exports exit the country.

“October’s not normally a robust precipitation month, and if we’re here already … it’s a real cause for concern,” said Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition.

Low water has also driven freight costs to the highest levels since last year’s historic river woes and made U.S. grain much less competitive in the global marketplace.

The Mississippi River is the primary river, and second-longest river, of the largest drainage basin in the United States.