FG, World Bank commits $700m to climate projects in North — News — The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News

The Federal Government and World Bank have concluded a pact to invest from a loan facility of $700 million, aimed at addressing issues surrounding climate change challenges, natural and human in the nineteen (19) northern states and Federal Capital Territory.

Speaking at the ACReSAL Stakeholders Workshop in Abuja, Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Environment, Mahmud Kambari said this investment will serve the country, adding that the strategic arrangement will be a six-year project on hydrological areas that will go beyond to other states.

Kambari also explained that they will ensure that all necessary concerns are brought forward by the indigenous stakeholders to give a strategic catchment management plan needed to receive political blessings and direction for its implementation.

He said, “The impact of ACReSAL is evident in the northern states and FCT, where it has addressed the vulnerabilities of semi-arid landscapes,and degraded lands have been restored to agricultural productivity to providing critical support and livelihoods.”

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According to the permanent secretary, the establishment of community-based strategic catchment management systems will empower local populations to sustainably manage their natural resources, and the project has improved water management, so that farmers and communities have access to this in times of drought.

The National Project Coordinator of ACReSAL, Abdulhamid Umar recalled that they have follow-up to initial stakeholder engagement to deliberate on the Strategic Catchment Management Plan, which can be likened to our National Development Plan, and as the foundation of the project.

Umar is hopeful that with the document the idea of dividing through availability of natural resources like water, human beings, air, and land in particular, in a given catchment will be understood and agreement with the World Bank is that the investments take place in the 19 northern states and FCT.

He explained that the catchment areas were designed so that investment aligns with particularities of those local environments and communities that require to reach out to improve their livelihoods, and division of given communities based on the availability of waterfalls primarily.

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