Katsina, World Bank Recover 30,000-hectare of Degraded Land

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

The Katsina State Government, in collaboration with the Agro-climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project, has recovered 30,000 hectares of degraded land across the state.

Governor Dikko Umaru Radda disclosed this Wednesday while flagging off the distribution of farm inputs, waste disposal trucks, 36 tractors and 4,000 energy efficient stoves to farmers and women at the Ministry of Environment.

ACReSAL is a World Bank-financed project designed to tackle the prevailing challenges of land degradation and climate change in Katsina and 18 other northern states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Radda said the project, in collaboration with the Katsina State government, has also reached over 2.5 million people across the state with different life-saving interventions and programmes.

He explained that the project had tackled critical challenges of desertification, flooding, poor waste management, food insecurity and degradation of the state’s ecosystem.

According to him, the project was designed to strengthen the capacity of semi-arid states like Katsina to manage land, water and other natural resources efficiently and effectively.

He said: “Within the period of two and a half years of our administration, we have through ACReSAL, implemented various land restoration interventions, livelihood activities, service delivery improvements that have resulted in recovery of over 30,000 hectares of degraded land and reached over 2.5 million beneficiaries across the project areas.”

He said the items distributed to the beneficiaries will enhance sanitation, reduce pollution, increase food production and improve the quality of life of the teaming population of Katsina State.

Describing environmental management as collective responsibility, Radda urged civil society organisations, citizens and other critical stakeholders to adopt effective waste management to keep Katsina clean, safe and sustainable.

In his opening remarks, the ACReSAL Project Coordinator, Yushau Sani El-Sunais, said it was committed to tackling environmental challenges and improving the livelihood of the citizens across the state.

He affirmed that the project, which operates within four critical components, has planted over three million trees across the state to address climate change and other environmental predicaments.