Clement Nanchi 
Cropped shot of woman’s hand washing an red apple with running water in the kitchen sink at home
A Professor of Hydro-biology at Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki Okechukwu Idumah Okogwu, has urged both the Federal and State Governments, to adopt integrated water resources management options to ensure a sustainable supply of safe water to the citizens.
Okogwu who is of the Department of Applied Biology at the university, made this submission at the weekend while delivering the 31st inaugural lecture with the theme “Life in Water and Water in Life held at the institution’s permanent site Abakaliki.
The lecture examines the relationship between life in water and water in life quality sustains life.
The academic don noted that between 2012 and 2020, water crisis was listed in the top five global risks sometimes ahead of weapons of mass destruction, extreme weather events and climate change in the global risk report.
He identified poverty, rapid population growth, unplanned urbanization and poor water infrastructure as the bane of water crisis and associated problems.
The academic don enjoined the government to consciously mitigate the problems in recognizable and incremental ways to ensure a sustainable supply of safe water.
He said, “To avert water crisis and meet safe water demands of the citizens, the country must adopt a well-coordinated and executable plan to utilize available expertise and water resources in the most effective manner.
“Water crisis is unlikely to abate soon as over 43 per cent of the population in sub-Saharan Africa lacks access to a water supply that is fully functional and provides good quality / safe water.
He emphasized that Integrated water resources management takes into account water demand by different sectors of society and technologies to balance supply and demand.
Earlier in an address, the Vice Chancellor of the institution Professor Chigozie Ogbu, on behalf of the Senate and Management of the institution welcomed dignitaries that attended the lecture.
Ogbu reiterated that inaugural lectures allows an academic don to showcase his intellectual prowess to the world.
In attendance at the event included the Vice Chancellor Professor Chigozie Ogbu, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academics Professor Eugene Nweke, Deans of Faculties, Heads of Departments, Students Union Government and Management of the institution among others.
