GPD Builds Community Capacity to Tackle Waste, Climate Risks in Yobe
The Global Peace Development (GPD) has begun a two-day training workshop on waste management for Site Management Committees (SMCs) under the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project in Yobe State.
Mr Ebruke Esike, Executive Director of GPD, stated this at the opening ceremony on Thursday in Damaturu.
He said the training would build the capacity of SMCs to monitor project implementation, ensure compliance with technical designs and promote proper waste disposal to reduce flood risk and gully erosion.
According to him, poor waste management contributes to flooding and environmental degradation, which in turn lead to waterborne diseases and loss of livelihoods.
“By disposing of waste properly, we will reduce flooding, minimise gully expansion, and improve community resilience. Waste can also be turned into resources such as fertiliser and biogas, creating economic opportunities,” Esike said.
He said the training drew 50 participants from SMCs in Buni Yadi and Damaturu, adding that the committees would be expected to sensitise their communities on waste management and environmental protection.
The GPD director listed expected outcomes to include cleaner surroundings, reduced flooding, fewer waterborne diseases, and enhanced capacity of SMCs to plan, implement and monitor waste management.
In his remarks, the Yobe ACReSAL Project Coordinator, Alhaji Mohammed Shehu said the workshop was part of the project’s mandate to address land degradation and climate change impacts.
Shehu, represented by Mr Usman Inuwa, Social Livelihood Officer, said the Yobe Government had already awarded contracts for gully erosion control in Buni Yadi and Damaturu, and had directed community sensitisation on waste management.
“This training will enable SMCs to monitor contractors and enlighten residents on the dangers of indiscriminate waste disposal, which is a major cause of flooding,” Inuwa said.
One of the participants, Jidda Mustapha, commended the organisers, saying the workshop had enlightened them on the dangers of dumping waste in drainage channels.
“I will take this message back to my community to stop waste dumping in drains, which causes flooding and erosion,” Mustapha said.
