Embark on Public Awareness on Dangers of Water Pollution, Hydrogeologists Advise Govt
The Federal Government has been advised to save the country from the calamity that may emerge from pollution of the water sources across the nation by urgently taking necessary actions that discourage pollution.
The Nigerian Association of Hydrogeologists (NAH), which gave the advice in Ilorin, Kwara state capital recently, asked the government to create public awareness to make people appreciate issues of climate change, environmental and socio-economic impacts on the management of water resources.
The NAH in a communiqué signed by its National President, Ehidiamhen Olumese and made available to journalists also enjoined the National Assembly to act fast on the passage of the water bill before it becomes an Act, saying the Act is urgently needed to strengthen the governance structure in the water sector.
The communiqué was issued at the end of the 29th conference of the association held in Ilorin recently, with the theme: ‘Strategies to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in water’.
The hydrogeologists, in the document, observed with concern, the effects of environmental contamination and pollution of surface and underground water resources.
They were of the view that there is the need for the government to recognise the effects of climate change on water resources, and the incorporation of such knowledge into various developmental efforts aimed at achieving the SDGs in the water sector.
The association advised the government to institutionalise good governance and best practices in the administration of the several projects in the sector. It also asked for involvement of civil society organisation as monitoring agents in the transparent execution of water resources projects in the country.
The NAH further called for training and retraining of hydogeologists and other relevant professionals to acquire appropriate skills in groundwater modelling, saying this had become the current trend in sustainable water resource management globally.