UNDP Moves To Check Water Hyacinths’ Effects

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), says the ravaging effects of water hyacinths in the Niger Delta will continue until  communities  in the region  learn how to utilise  them for positive  use.
Representative of the organisation, Mr.  Raymond Enuwaye said this at a two-day training on concepts and techniques in production of organic fertilizer  from water hyacinth  organised by the UNDP, in collaboration with Environment    and Climate  Change Amelioration Initiative (ECCAI) under the Niger Delta Biodiversity Project (NDBP) for communities  in Orashi region of Ahoada. Mr. Enuwaye,  said that  water hyacinth  which  has  become a menace to communities  in the fresh water areas of the Niger Delta can be used to produce organic  fertilizer to increase food production  as well as be used in the  production of handicrafts.
He said that the moment communities in the region realised  the usefulness of the weeds,  its ravaging effects on the  environment will be reduced.
According to him, by so doing, communities will make its water  surfaces navigable, adding that the workshop was to teach them how to utilize  the water weeds to their advantage.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of Environment  and Climate Change Amelioration Initiative (ECCAI), Mrs. Victoria Essu, said that communities along the Benue River are already using water hyacinths  to produce organic manure for farming. She said that by so doing, the ravaging influence of the water weeds  had been reduced in the Benue  valley, adding that communities in Rivers State can also benefit from it.
On his part, Mr. Simeon  Igbodaro warned against the use of chemicals to destroy  water hyacinths as such can affect fishes in the water.