Protecting the Hadejia-Jama’are-Komadugu-Yobe river basin

The Hadelja-Jama’are-Komadugu-Yobe river basin (HJKYB) in Northern Nigeria is no stranger to water-related challenges; from floods and droughts to shifting riverbeds and everything in between. To protect this vital resource, Royal HaskoningDHV has been working to futureproof three of the area’s most important dams.

The challenge

The HJKYB plays a pivotal role for the communities that surround it, providing a vital water supply for nearby populations and fuelling the agriculture and fishing industries.

However, the basin is also subject to uncontrolled typha growth, sedimentation, increased water usage and numerous climate risks, including flooding and drought, which pose significant challenges to those that depend on it.

Royal HaskoningDHV has spent over two years helping to mitigate these risks, ensure a sustainable water supply, and protect local inhabitants. Working alongside The World Bank on behalf of the Nigerian Government, our experts set out to improve the safety of the three dams.

It’s a project that required a careful balancing act, making sure that all water users were able to access a vital resource while also ensuring water could be released when levels are too high.

In addition, various areas and ecosystems had to be considered – from wetlands and irrigation fields to local villages and the nearby city of Kano.

The ultimate goal was to ensure the safety of these dams and protect the water resources, not just for today but also for a prosperous future. This meant looking at climate, agriculture, and population predictions up until the year 2050.

The solution

Working on the project for almost 30 months, our experts developed an integrated water resource management (IWRM) plan that considered activities across the entire basin from a watershed perspective.

We began by modelling the area’s reservoirs, hydraulics, and flooding potential using SOBEK, a powerful modelling suite for water systems.

Next, we used Ribasim, a hydrological river basin planning and management tool, to conduct water balance modelling with predictions that reach thirty years into the future.

This ensured that any infrastructure changes we suggested would withstand future challenges – whether that’s a population boom, further climate change, or a greater demand on agriculture.

Our experts also developed an integrated water resource management (IWRM) plan in consultation with local stakeholders. This plan prioritised and designed suitable measures to improve the safety of the existing dams and improve water management in the river basin.

The result

The results of this work were integrated watershed management and institutional development plans that will improve dam safety and protect a vital resource well into the future.

We provided the Nigerian Government with detailed designs and implementation plans for a variety of structural interventions and made improvements to hydrological stations and river training.

As a result, local populations will continue to have a much-needed water supply while being protected from the future impacts of climate change.