Flood Management: FEMA Seeks Greater Collaboration With NIHSA
By: Nkechi Isa
The FCT Emergency Management Agency, (FEMA) has called for greater collaboration with The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, (NIHSA), to enhance flood management in the Territory.
The Acting Director General of FEMA Mohammed Sabo made the call in Abuja when he led the management staff of the Agency on a courtesy visit to NIHSA.
Mohammed Sabo noted the impact of NIHSA’s hydrological analysis of data and flooding on flood management and mitigation in the FCT.
His words: “Your support to FEMA underscores your commitment to flood management in the FCT. Your flood outlook enables us to prepare very well and coordinate our responses during crises”.
He added that the visit was also to enable the management of FEMA to familiarize itself with NIHSA.
Responding, the Director General of NIHSA, Engr. Clement Nze, promised to strengthen the existing relationship between both agencies to enable FEMA to manage flooding in the FCT.
His words: “NIHSA is in the upstream sector of flood management. FEMA always up- takes from us to mitigate flooding in the FCT. Whatever information we give out is perishable because after some time, it becomes obsolete. FEMA has been the best state emergency management agency I have collaborated with. FEMA has equipment, all the paraphernalia needed to manage disasters”.
The DG NIHSA stated that the agency, in collaboration with NEMA, installed an automatic weather observation system in some universities in the country to enhance flood management.
He blamed the irregular rainfall pattern in some parts of the country on climate change.
