The Burum Gana is the main channel in the wetlands used for dry season irrigated agriculture. 20 km of its total 60 km length are now totally blocked by typha grass, 25 km partially blocked by typha and other aquatic weeds, and the remaining 15 km by silt. Dry season farming has significantly declined over the last 10 years as a direct result, creating conflict between neighbouring communities over proportioning of the remaining available water.

For some years the affected communities have severally attempted to keep the channel open. By 2004 the situation was so bad that they buried their differences and joined hands to clear the channel en masse together. This effort yielded support from Jigawa & Yobe State Governments with some mechanical clearance, and the direct benefits to local agriculture triggered further communal clearance work in 2005 & 2006, this time with funding support from concerned Local Government Chairmen and regional donor agencies. More of this kind of support is still needed if the proposed gabion flow proportioning structure at the bifurcation of the Burum Gana and Marma channels is to be effective. The entire Burum Gana channel needs to be cleared and kept clear through regular clearance work.

JWL has already played a significant role in catalysing these collective efforts and influencing funding support, through a coalition of community level stakeholders. The project is presently concentrating it efforts at this level in developing the management capacity of this coalition, now officially registered as the KYB-Wetlands Development Initiative, to sustain and up-scale this channel clearance work alongside a range of other related activities.