Farmers lament as Climate Change dries up Goronyo dam
Grief These are not the best of times for Haliru Yakubu and his family.He was born in Goronyo, and he took part in the construction of the dam,he informs us, with a hint of a stammer. The dam which brought so much joy in its wake,which also came into being in his presence, has become […]
Grief
These are not the best of times for Haliru Yakubu and his family.He was born in Goronyo, and he took part in the construction of the dam,he informs us, with a hint of a stammer. The dam which brought so much joy in its wake,which also came into being in his presence, has become a source of grief to many, who point towards the empty concrete channel which ought to convey water to Sokoto, some 70 kilometers away.As we watch the villagers try to fill a number of containers with water which issues from a part of the dam. Yakubu turns and looks towards the two distant trees in the background, as though forming a friendly mental bond with them. As he gazes he murmurs that when the dam had water,many visitors from neighbouring communities, came to buy fish.
Now, the flock of visitors from Zamfara, Kebbi and Niger republic has dropped to less than a trickle, and the fish in the dam have reduced in population, meaning that very little either in the form of money or fish or both, gets to Yakubu. Many of his brothers have had to migrate seeking food and a means of sustenance, leaving their wives and children behind. He explains “Now, there is no fish at the dam. Nobody comes to make purchases, and we are becoming poorer.” We meet a Buzu herder from Niger republic on our way to Goronyo, and he is trekking alongside more than a hundred camels.With the drying up of the dam, he has been making fewer trips to Nigeria.
Disappearing fish
Dr. Aminu Raji, former Executive Director, National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research, New Bussa, Niger State, shares an opinion on what happens if the water level of a dam drops “A lot of fish will disappear because fish don’t reproduce in shallow water. Dams are primarily for agricultural use, and the river basins were set up for agriculture, crop production, livestock, fish production. If there is no water, then all these will be affected. The quantity of fish will dramatically reduce. Over time places with much fish, won’t have that number again. At one time, for instance, Lake Chad had sixty to seventy percent species of fish. Today, we may not find twenty species of fish there. Those that cannot adapt to new conditions will disappear. This is called extinction in biology. The same thing will apply to livestock and agriculture. With less water, fewer animals will be kept, and there will be less water for irrigation.” He also proposes a solution to the situation at Goronyo “You can transfer water from one river to another, to increase the quantity.This is known as inter basin transfer, from one basin to another. You can do that on a smaller scale for Goronyo. You can channel the river, deepen the river feeding Goronyo, so that more water will come from the lake, and you can dredge them to remove the silt.”
Fish market dying
A popular fish market in Goronyo, illustrates the impact of the declining waters on the area. Shuaibu Keta, whom we meet there, argues “the reduction of water has adversely affected people growing onions, tomatoes and rice. They are usually quite well off, but now they have nothing to do. Before, if you come here to buy fish, you have to look for a place to park your car, because of the large number of customers, but now there is nothing for sale. Previously, we will realise up to one million Naira in fish sales per day, but now even a sale worth fifty thousand Naira is hard to come by.” Salihu Maiwake, a rice farmer is still able to smile despite the major reversal which Goronyo has grown to symbolise “The situation is sorrowful. Last year by this time (April) I harvested two hundred bags of rice, but now I could not harvest even one bag, not to talk of the small farmers. Some of them have migrated to more fertile places, because there is nothing happening here.” He adds “Since the dam was established, I have never seen anything like this.”
Dr. Raji argues “If it is a sudden drop,if it is not over a long period of time, probably one could think that the rate of usage is faster than the rate of replacement. If they are using the water faster than the rate of replacement, this could result in the sudden drop in the water level. If the amount of water that enters the reservoir is much smaller than what they have been using, this may be the immediate reason.” Continuing,he says “Siltation is the number one explanation for the situation. These are the muddy particles going into the lake from the rivers supplying the waters, which reduce the depth of the reservoir.”Professor Ismail, head of the department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, ABU, draws attention to the role of seepage in the decline of Goronyo dam “The Goronyo dam has a history of seepage. Without proper management of the dam, definitely, the amount of seepage will increase. Evaporation will also cause water to reduce. If you have a large span of water over a large area, in the northern part of the country, you will know that the evaporation rate will be high. Again, once the dam is silting up,it will instantly reduce the capacity of the reservoir.” Professor Ismail opens up on other factors behind the decline “The major problem is the issue of maintenance. Once you set up a big structure like that, you need to provide funds to maintain this infrastructure, because without it the whole structure will be in vain, without purpose.”
‘Water is everything’
Garba Umoru sheds light on migrations in the Goronyo area “Before now, people weren’t migrating, they were always at home. It’s time to prepare for the rainy season farming, if there’s water. But there’s no water.It’s a big loss, for water is everything. If there’s water, normal business around Goronyo will revive, but many have migrated on account of the situation.” Umar Bello, Secretary Garlic Traders, Goronyo, reflects on the changing landscape around Goronyo town “For the past thirty years, I have never seen this place like this without water,” he says, pointing to the rapidly drying river bank, “It used to be a very green area.” Onion farmers at Dan Woru open up on some of the challenges they have been facing “Water has reduced because of the lack of water in the dam. We have to dig more tube wells. Formerly,we needed two pipes to get to the water using the tube well, now we need up to five pipes to do this,and this additional need increases costs for us.” There are 2,500 Garlic farmers at Giyawa, near Goronyo “If water continues to decline all these livelihoods will be affected, and we may have to migrate,” says Aliyu Altine.
More funds for basins
Prof Ismail argues “The federal government needs to look at the river basins, in terms of supporting them financially.If you don’t give enough funds to maintain these facilities, you can construct a gigantic structure,but if there is no maintenance, the management of such agencies cannot do anything. Once there is money budgeted for maintenance, definitely the structure will last long.If the inlets to the dam are cleared, the water will come back to normal. ” Dr Adeogun speaks on dredging of the reservoir as a way forward “dredging of the reservoir so as to restore it, is a way out. We also need to put in place a maintenance culture, to prevent it getting silted up again. This is because dredging is expensive. River basins are to operate and manage these reservoirs, but today they are operating but not managing them.”
‘People farm into rivers’
Professor Adie suggests “The work of the great green wall agency should be extended to include the issue of management of our large rivers, because it’s not only desert encroachment that is a problem. If we don’t manage our rivers, it will be a problem. People farm into river courses, and this is not healthy because they are generating silt. Nigeria may be the only country where people farm right into the river. If a river is silted up, the capacity that the river is supposed to take will reduce. The water will just go as a flood, and it will not be captured in the dam, that’s why there are flash floods in that area. In the north all the rivers are silted up, and don’t have the capacity again to contain any flood, and it’s the major cause of flooding.” Dr Adeogun explains the immediate impact of populations “If the population increases the water demand also increases. Automatically, there must be a reduction in the water level for the domestic and socio economic life of the people. These include irrigation, fishing and livestock. Instead of being in school, the pupils will be out looking for water, and this results in a high level of absenteeism. The decline of the water level has direct implications for food security. The rate of illness will increase, malnutrition will set in. Economic activities will reduce ,and there will be conflicts among the users of water.” It is noon and the men begin to reflect on the link between the absence of water, poor harvests, dried up wells, poverty and hunger. After scouring their fractured shrinking world, the garlic farmers of Giyawa, in one common volition, raise their hands and begin to pray.
Concluded