By: Umar Abubakar Ladan.
Communities in Kiyawa Local Government Area of Jigawa State are grappling with the growing impacts of climate change, including severe soil erosion, inadequate access to potable water and poor drainage systems.
Experts attribute the worsening environmental challenges to changing weather patterns, poor environmental management and inadequate infrastructure, which have increased the risks of erosion, flooding and water scarcity in many rural communities across Nigeria.
Residents of Shuwarin and Rajun Gabas communities in Gurduba Ward of kiyawa Local government Area, say the situation has continued to threaten lives, livelihoods and economic activities.
A resident of Shuwarin, Malam Yahaya Dahiru, described the erosion as a major threat to the community, particularly around the Shuwarin Market axis.
“The situation is particularly serious around Shuwarin Market. For example, in the Tsika area, severe erosion has washed away several plots of land, completely destroyed some and is gradually threatening others. This is a major danger to our community,” he said.
He also expressed concern over the persistent shortage of potable water in the community.
“We are also facing serious challenges in accessing potable water. Although Shuwarin has about three public water facilities, the hardship people experience in getting drinking water makes it seem as if there are none.The situation keeps getting worse every day, disrupting our daily activities,” he added.
In neighbouring Rajun Gabas, residents identified the absence of proper drainage channels as one of the major causes of flooding during the rainy season.
One of the residents, Malam Abdullahi Ali, said the situation had continued to affect farming activities and livelihoods.
“A large portion of our farmland has already been destroyed by floodwater,” he said.
The Village Head of Rajun Gabas, Malam Shuti Umaru, appealed to the Jigawa State Government to provide drainage infrastructure and other interventions to safeguard the community from further environmental degradation.
“We are appealing to the government to come to our aid.
We believe this administration is committed to supporting ordinary citizens, and we hope it will extend that support to our community,” he said.
Meanwhile, during an inspection visit to the erosion control project in Kila, Gwaram Local Government Area, on July 31, 2026, the Governor of Jigawa State said the state government had executed major erosion control projects under the ACReSAL Programme in Danmasara and Kalgo, with investments exceeding ten billion naira.
The governor assured that similar interventions would be extended to other communities facing erosion challenges across the state.
Residents of the affected communities expressed hope that timely government intervention would help mitigate the impact of climate change and improve their living conditions.
