International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has recommended the upgrade of water infrastructure to the Adamawa State government.
Dr Robert Inyeneke of Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike and Dr Tafida Ahmadu of Modibbo Adama University, Yola lead researchers noted that in conflict-affected communities, risks related to water systems remain a growing concern.
The research validation workshop held in Yola, the state capital, noted that climate change is exacerbating existing vulnerabilities and causing severe impacts in the North, and urged local authorities to encourage climate change adaptation practices among their people.
The researchers who worked under the auspices of the collaborative trio of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), World Food Programme (WFP) and Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centre (CGIAR), made a case for all communities around Adamawa State to benefit from water supply infrastructure overhaul.
“Ensuring water security in Adamawa State requires policies and services that bolster community resilience,” the researchers asserted in their report.
Observing that people in many places face inhuman ordeals to get water, the report recommended the construction of new boreholes for communities lacking them, and rehabilitating old boreholes that have stopped functioning.
The report also seeks the provision of rainwater harvesting storage facilities in communities where water is particularly scarce so that rainy seasons can make a difference for residents.
Observing how the search for water has frequently caused conflicts between people, the report recommended the strengthening of local capacities for resolving water-related disputes.
