NAH warns of impeding water crisis by 2020

The Nigerian Association of Hydro-geologists (NAH) has warned of impeding water crisis by 2020 because of poor management of groundwater basins.

The president of the association, Ehidiamhen Olumese, disclosed this on Sunday in Ilorin while addressing newsmen after the association’s National Executive Meeting (NEC).

Olumese said efforts to ameliorate such crisis may include acquisition of both hydrological and Hydro geological data and systematic study of basin aquifers.

He however, suggested that updating and full implementation of the National Water Resources Master Plan is now imperative.

He said this development has called for a strong financial commitment and prudent management of available resources such as State Ministry of Water Resources (RUWATSAN) and support to River Basin Development Authority to achieve their mandate based on set targets that can be evaluated periodically.

“The groundwater level in going down and we are giving water projects to quacks.

“Indiscriminate sinking of boreholes are not helping the matter, we must become aware of this and do something.

“Projects are executed without professional counseling, Hydrogeologists are not consulted.

“The Lake Chad is shrinking and this may soon be causing loss of jobs,” Olumese said.

Olumese lamented that the government is inconsistent with the River Basin and if it shows commitment, Nigeria can feed Africa.

The NAH President disclosed that the association’s 29th Annual Conference, tagged Ilorin 2017 will hold in Ilorin, the Kwara capital from November 5 to November 10.

He said the conference has as its theme, ‘Strategies to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals in Water Resources.’

Olumese explained that the conference will also focus on Climate Change and inter-basin water transfer, surface and Groundwater resources management, Environmental monitoring and restoration as sub-theme.

Kehinde Akinpelu, Ilorin