Worried over the incessant floods ravaging parts of the state as a result of the rains, the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers have called for a stakeholders meeting to mitigate the flood menace in the state.
Chairman of NIESV Rivers State Branch Hamilton Odum said the stakeholders meeting with the ministry of environment became necessary following the large scale of destruction of properties floods have caused in the state.
Odum said the environmental summit with the theme “Flooding in Port Harcourt City: Issues and Mitigation strategies” will also engage professors and experts in the environment, on ways of ending the ravaging floods in Port Harcourt.
‘’With the increasing climate change, we are bound to experience rising sea levels and more intense rainfalls that will lead certainly lead to greater flooding in our cities and urban centers. We r all witnesses to the unprecedented flooding in the city of Port Harcourt this year. If measures are not taken we will witness more flooding in greater dimension and intensity come next year. Flooding causes damages to property and endangers the lives of human and other species. For NIESV, we see this as a social responsibility to act in best interest of the environment and society as a whole. We are motivated to hold this symposium to bring stakeholders in the environmental field to fashion out best practices on flood prevention and develop flood risk management strategies for the good of the city and its residents’’, he said.
On their part, one of the partners of the environmental summit, Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Sea Port, said Rotary clubs are worried over the state of flooding in the state and is partnering to take action to end the menace.
President of the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Sea Port Akin Sodipo said Rotary could apply the lessons it has learned with fighting polio to build awareness and inspire action around projects which promote the environment.
The Service Project Director of the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Sea Port, Prince Jenewari Eleki said the club’s collaboration with the ministry of environment is timely so that the recommendation after the meeting will be effectively implemented by the state government. He said the Rotary club of Port Harcourt Sea Port would continue to collaborate with organizations to impact on the environment.
Our correspondent Precious Ahiakwo-Ovie reports that the environmental summit with theme Flooding in Port Harcourt City: Issues and Mitigation Strategies will hold tomorrow 7th of December at the Vineyard Woji road, GRA by 10am, with speakers to include Professor TKS Abam, Professor Prince Mmoh and Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency NEMA South South , Godwin Tepikor.
