By Aliyu Dangida

DUTSE— National Emergency and Management Agency, NEMA, has stressed the need for the development of  an emergency evaluation plan for communities prone to flood in Nigeria through space technology.

Speaking at a workshop on emergency evacuation and mass sheltering for communities prone to flood in Jigawa State, the NEMA zonal coordinator in charge of North-West, Musa Ilallah, said the space technology had made disaster planning easier and mitigation activities less costly, arguing that countries around the globe had put in place measures to mitigate devastating impact of climate change on communities, towns and cities vulnerable to flood.

Ilallah explained that from the experience of 2012 flood that devastated the country, there was compelling need to assist communities prone to flood and those living along the banks of major rivers to have home made plans of evacuation to high grounds within stipulated time frame once early warning was issued by NIMET, NIHSA, or NASDRA.
His words:- “The year 2012 flood wreaked havoc on several states of the zone, adversely affecting human lives, properties, live hood, settlement, fresh water, fisheries, biodiversity, agriculture, health/sanitation and caused development of gullies, human migrations/displacements and security challenges among others.”