As Climate Goronyo dam
be high. Again, once the dam is silting up,it will instantly reduce the capacity of the reservoir.” Professor Ismail opens up on other factors behind the decline “The major problem is the issue of maintenance. Once you set up a big structure like that, you need to provide funds to maintain this infrastructure, because without it the whole structure will be in vain, without purpose.”
‘Water is everything’
Garba Umoru sheds light on migrations in the Goronyo area “Before now, people weren’t migrating, they were always at home. It’s time to prepare for the rainy season farming, if there’s water. But there’s no water. It’s a big loss, for water is everything. If there’s water, normal business around Goronyo will revive, but many have migrated on account of the situation.” Umar Bello, Secretary Garlic Traders, Goronyo, reflects on the changing landscape around Goronyo town “For the past thirty years, I have never seen this place like this without water,” he says, pointing to the rapidly drying river bank, “It used to be a very green area.” Onion farmers at Dan Woru open up on some of the challenges they have been facing “Water has reduced because of the lack of water in the dam. We have to dig more tube wells. Formerly,we needed two pipes to get to the water using the tube well, now we need up to five pipes to do this,and this additional need increases costs for us.” There are 2,500 Garlic farmers at Giyawa, near Goronyo “If water continues to decline all these livelihoods will be affected, and we may have to migrate,” says Aliyu Altine.
More funds for basins
Prof Ismail argues “The federal government needs to look at the river basins, in terms of supporting them financially.If you don’t give enough funds to maintain these facilities, you can construct a gigantic structure,but if there is no maintenance, the management of such agencies cannot do anything. Once there is money budgeted for maintenance, definitely the structure will last long.If the inlets to the dam are cleared, the water will come back to normal. ” Dr Adeogun speaks on dredging of the reservoir as a way forward “dredging of the reservoir so as to restore it, is a way out. We also need to put in place a maintenance culture, to prevent it getting silted up again. This is because dredging is expensive. River basins are to operate and manage these reservoirs, but today they are operating but not managing them.”
‘People farm into rivers’
Professor Adie suggests “The work of the great green wall agency should be extended to include the issue of management of our large rivers, because it’s not only desert encroachment that is a problem. If we don’t manage our rivers, it will be a problem. People farm into river courses, and this is not healthy because they are generating silt. Nigeria may be the only country where people farm right into the river. If a river is silted up, the capacity that the river is supposed to take will reduce. The water will just go as a flood, and it will not be captured in the dam, that’s why there are flash floods in that area. In the north all the rivers are silted up, and don’t have the capacity again to contain any flood, and it’s the major cause of flooding.” Dr Adeogun explains the immediate impact of populations “If the population increases the water demand also increases. Automatically, there must be a reduction in the water level for the domestic and socio economic life of the people. These include irrigation, fishing and livestock. Instead of being in school, the pupils will be out looking for water, and this results in a high level of absenteeism. The decline of the water level has direct implications for food security. The rate of illness will increase, malnutrition will set in. Economic activities will reduce ,and there will be conflicts among the users of water.” It is noon and the men begin to reflect on the link between the absence of water, poor harvests, dried up wells, poverty and hunger. After scouring their fractured shrinking world, the garlic farmers of Giyawa, in one common volition, raise their hands and begin to pray.