The Bauchi State Project Management Unit (PMU), alongside key stakeholders from traditional institutions and various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), led by the State Project Coordinator Dr. Ibrahim Kabir, commenced participation in a strategic stakeholders' engagement for the development of a Catchment Management Plan under the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project in Kano State. The workshop is taking place at Tahir Guest Palace, Kano, and aims to strengthen the countrys long-term ability to manage climate-resilient landscapes, was organized by the Federal Project Management Unit (FPMU) of ACReSAL in collaboration with Mecon Geology and Engineering Services Limited, the firm tasked with developing the catchment management plan. In his opening address, Abdulhamid Umar, the National Project Coordinator, emphasized that the engagement will involve critical interactions with stakeholders from the Ngada West Chad, Yedseram-East Chad, Hadejia, and Katagun K-Gana catchments, which span across Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Bauchi, and Kano States. The NPC, represented by Dr. Dahiru Muhammad Hashim, Kano State Project Coordinator, stressed the importance of developing the Catchment Management Plan to help ACReSAL achieve its objectives. These objectives include the restoration of one million hectares of degraded land, making it suitable for cultivation, habitation, and other purposes, which will benefit both men and women. Umar also highlighted that the plan will integrate socioeconomic needs, address challenges to natural ecosystems, and ensure the sustainable use of natural resources. He urged participants to contribute meaningfully to the discussions for the betterment of the communities. Speaking to the press, Dr. Ibrahim Kabir, who is also the Chairman of ACReSAL Project Coordinators, emphasized the importance of the catchment management plan, particularly for the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which are involved in the project. The engagement, he explained, brings together diverse stakeholders from riparian states to understand and address the challenges and threats unique to these areas. This will ensure harmonious management of issues affecting the river basin. Dr. Kabir elaborated on the concept of a "catchment" within the project, referring to watersheds in various states where water resource management, environmental conservation, and agriculture can be integrated to achieve a common goal. He highlighted the need for coordinated activities among states in riverine areas to avoid negative impacts on one another. Mr. Chuka J. Offofile, Managing Director of Mecon Geology and Engineering Services Ltd, explained that the engagement is designed to gather input from stakeholders from the five riparian states. The goal is to address challenges affecting these states and to contribute to the development of the Strategic Catchment Management Plan, which will guide the successful implementation of the ACReSAL project. Offofile emphasized that the interconnectedness of policies, goals, agriculture, and wildlife in these areas necessitates a shared vision and the inclusion of all stakeholders to address the challenges facing the wetlands. In a goodwill message, Engr. Muhammad Galadima Magaji, District Head of Azare, who has long been involved in the Hadejia-Jamaare-Komadugu river basin project, described the engagement as timely. He expressed hope that the strategic plan would address the challenges faced by communities along the basin, particularly in agriculture, and bring relief to those affected. Participants from Bauchi include the state Project Coordinator, SSA to the governor on ACReSAL, District Heads of Azare and Jama'are, Bauchi SPMU team and stakeholders from relevant MDAs. Communication Unit Bauchi ACReSAL 13th September 2024