by Maduka Nweke, [email protected]    08034207864, 08118879331

Erosion has become a natural disaster that is living with us today. The disaster has wreacked a lot of havoc to both residential and commercial buildings such that it is no longer a family affair but a state or even a national matter. Most states of the federation today particularly from the eastern part of Nigeria, suffer erosion like most western worlds suffer earthquakes. Family homes have been taken, schools have been relocated while churches and other public buildings have either been relocated or are at their capacity level doing a lot to ameliorate the level of menace.

Anambra State is one of the most ecologically damaged states in Nigeria as erosion has rendered many homeless and fertile land useless while still threatening to eat-up the 4844km2 area of the states.

Over the years, huge financial resources have been sunk into erosion management and control in Anambra without abatement. Anambra is 2nd with respect to population density in Nigeria. With population and erosion rapidly expanding, a future might come in which there would not be enough land to cater for the expanding population.

At present, most of the erosion controls have focused largely on post-erosion management, which does not recover lost land or properties as they mostly stops erosion site from spreading. But Nigeria needs to change its approach and lay more emphasis on pre-erosion management. Most of the factors, which affect erosion in the state are natural and look insurmountable, but with dedication it is largely controllable. In pre-erosion management the menace is tackled head on before it even occurs and hence easily averted. Anambra has to invest funds in reading and controlling the early stage of erosion and monitoring each site and checking up any signs of splash, sheet and rill erosion quickly.

However, authorities that are reposed the responsibility of handling ecological problems rather treat them with kid gloves and may not even see it as a disaster until it has grown beyond control. Also, aside the efforts of governments, family members have got a lot to do in order to checkmate the wearing off of top soil which where and how erosion starts. Most often houses are built on drainages and water ways either for wants of land or for ventilation without considering the consequential effect. If government authorities should act proactively, these water ways and drainages that have become the new found love for property developers would be checked and cordoned through a legislation that make the areasa-no-go areas for occupation. People at times do not believe that denudation can result to a whole house being washed away.

There are a lot of things developers ought to take note of while plotting their architectural graph to avoid embarking on white elephant projects. You will have to find out if there is water moving across slope or down the hillside? Has erosion been common on this slope? Are there small or large channels on the slope? Where is the water going in the landscape? You cannot let water run on a slope. Be a control freak and the slope will be much more stable. Is the soil on the slope stable or is it a sand dune? Sand slopes can be landscaped with a mixture of perennials, groundcovers, bushes and trees, with a layer of shredded bark. (On the surface, NOT tilled in.) Different root depths using little water will tie up the slope, the mulch will stop most surface activity. Go up on the slope and dig a hole, (dig the hole where you’ll plant a plant later). Is there solid rock under the top one inch of soil? Mud on rock or clay are also a problem. Why are people surprised when these slide? These slopes need trees, and if possible, spring boxes or some other means of moving the water off the slope.

A lot of spade works have also gone into the checking of erosion in Anambra State courtesy of the state governor Dr. Willie Obiano. The state mindful of the extent to which erosion could go collaborated with World Bank in that direction. Although, this partnership has yielded as the Bank earmarked N94.5 billion for erosion control projects in the State.

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The Bank Task Team leader, Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project – NewMap, Dr. Amos Abu during a courtesy call on Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State recently said that the State had already paid its counterpart contribution of N500 million and approved four sites for the intervention. Abu noted that Anambra State was one of the seven states selected for the erosion control projects approved in September last year. He explained that the Bank was equally planning to intervene on major erosion sites of Agulu, Nanka, Oko, Ekwulobia and Nnewi South local government areas of the state, depending on priority sites selected by the State government and approved by the Technical Committee of the Bank in the next phase of the project.

The Work Bank Task Leader lamented that over 80 per cent of gully erosion sites were caused by poorly terminated drains resulting from road construction and disclosed that a retreat for federal and state governments would be convened to check the dangerous practice and key into global best practices. Responding, Governor Obiano said the State had selected six more erosion sites for World Bank intervention, bringing the number of sites to ten and assured that his administration was ready to increase the State’s counterpart contribution to carry the new projects. Obiano explained that the necessary structure had also been put in place to promote transparency and accountability in the State’s collaboration with the Bank.

He further revealed that the Ministry of Environment had been directed to conduct fresh numeration of erosion sites in the State to give an update on new sites, while sand excavation in all parts of the State had been banned to determine its contribution in aggravating erosion devastation. But that notwithstanding you must be able to find out if there is good drainage where you propose to build your home. If you have holes, fill that hole with water and time how long it takes for the water to drain. An hour or less is good; if 2-3 days, then the slope has a problem. Dig around some more and see if there’s rock under it. Have a soil analysis down and look for sodium, boron or high calcium. Do not fertilize and do the stuff the report say to do, just see if there is something that’s way off.

Indeed, the people of Enugwu-Ukwu community in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, as rampaging erosion has sacked more than 500 of them from their homes. By the disclosures of the elders of the area, the erosion has taken over 70.5 hectares of their communal land. The natural disaster, which washed away many farmlands, economic trees, and public util-ities sited in the affected land mass, also affected 100 homes.

The residents of Urunnebo village, Enugwu-Ukwu dis-closed this on Tuesday when of-ficials of the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) visited the sites to ascertain the level of damage done by the erosioThey explained that erosion-induced flooding of their area started over 30 years ago and assumed the current terrible state because no serious action had been taken by past and present leaders in the state and at the federal level.

Their spokesperson, Mr Nwadinigwe Emmanuel, said that many of the villagers become tenants because their homes were destroyed by the erosion. He said that they made efforts to control the erosion at the initial stage through planting of bamboo and Melina trees, but they could not stop it. While pledging that remedial work would start in the area soon, the Anambra State Project Coordinator of NEWMAP, Michael Ivenso and Sola Akinsikun, the Director of Communication, Aries Concept Nigeria Ltd, which partnered with NEWMAP to check the menace, urged the residents to embrace positive environmental practices to ensure that further damage is not done to the ecosystem.

A month ago, residents of Ihuaku in Ebenato Okpala community, Amichi in Nnewi South Local Government Area of An-ambra State were sacked by flood and erosion, which destroyed their economic trees, farm lands, as well as killed their domestic animals.

He regretted that whatever materials used to wage the flood were always swept away by the uncontrollable heavy flooding that gather from the adjoining communities, including Igbo-Ukwu, Isuofia and other parts of Aguata Local Government Area. Meanwhile, the Anambra State Government has identified 950 active erosion sites in the state. Governor Willie Obiano who raised the alarm over the growing threat of gully erosion in the state, said that with over 950 gully erosion sites existing within a land mass of 4,844 square kilometres, it was clear that unless something drastic was done, Anambra could be washed away by erosion.