Commissioner for Water Resources and Environment, in Benue State, Mr. Godwin Oyiwona, has called on Benue residents to imbibe such practices that would protect the underground water for the safety of human lives and that of the ecosystem.
The Commissioner made the call while briefing journalists in his office in Makurdi, to mark the 2022 World Water Day.
The year 2022 World Water Day is Christened “Ground Water: Making Invisible Visible,” and offers an opportunity to raise awareness on a range of water-based issues.
Speaking in his office, on Tuesday, Oyiwona said “when we protect groundwater we save lives and ecosystems, improve health, reduce hunger and tackle climate change all at once.
The commissioner who noted with displeasure that one in nine people, 2.1 billion people, of the world population, still don’t have access to safe water said humans are living with damaged ecosystems which affect the quantity and quality of water available for human consumption.
“1.8 billion people use a source of drinking water contaminated with faeces, putting them at risk of contracting cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio.
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Quoting the WHO/UNICEF 2014/WHO 2014 report, Oyiwona expressed worry that unsafe water, poor sanitation and hygiene cause around 842,000 deaths yearly just as the UN report on 2002 World Water Day warns that two-thirds of the world’s population are likely to face water shortages by year 2025.
According to him, Benue State has faced a lot of challenges Including widespread uncontrolled use of pesticides in agriculture, flooding and influx of herdsmen and their cows into the state looking for water and good vegetation among others.
While noting that the theme of this year’s celebration is an invitation for all to think about ‘nature-based solutions to the water challenges facing the world, the commissioner said it means that planting trees, growing forests, reducing deforestation, opening water channels, reducing indiscriminate dumping of solid and liquid wastes, ensuring proper disposal of sewage, reducing bush burning, and restoring other natural elements of the environments that are damaged, can assist in purifying water and making it available for use.
“We need to do so much more with ‘green’ infrastructure and harmonize it with ‘grey’ infrastructure wherever possible. Planting new forests, reconnecting rivers to floodplains and restoring wetlands will rebalance the water cycle and improve human health and livelihoods.
He assured that government will continue to support the people of the state in the provision of improved water sources and maintenance of the Natural environment saying several steps have already and are being taken to address the challenges.
He, therefore, called on all households in the state to build and use latrines/sanitary conveniences, and refrain from the practice of open field defecation, indiscriminate dumping of refuse and building on, clogging or blocking of water ways.
