Misbahu Bashir
4 October 2007
Abuja — The parliament of the Economic Community West African States (ECOWAS), has been urged to develop a legal framework that will address conflicts arising in the Lake Chad Basin resulting from environmental problems.
The call was made by Alhaji Abubakar Jauro, yesterday, in a lecture titled "Conflict and Trans-Boundary Water Resources Management", delivered at a workshop on "Improving the Understanding of ECOWAS Parliamentarians on Legislation for Freshwater Management in the West African Sub-Region," in Abuja.
He said as parliamentarians, they should advise the ECOWAS Heads of State on a legal framework as well as domesticate or ratify the legislations in their respective countries.
"It is your duty to ensure the speedy passage of such legislation in your respective countries," he said.
He said the conflicts arising from the sharing of the water are prevalent due to severe droughts and desertification which results in the lakes receding and islands emerging. He noted that population of fishermen moved on to these islands and their respective countries claimed ownership of such islands.
Jauro said the Lake Chad Basin Commission charged with the responsibility of settling conflicts has done well to resolve major conflicts particularly between Nigeria and Chad as a result of movement of fishermen to emerging islands.
The resource person also said the realization of the inter-basin water transfer project is a very good solution to the problems of the lake Chad. He stressed that it will not only restore the lake but also open up the land locked countries of the sub-region, provide irrigation facilities, navigation and indeed restore the ecosystem.
Earlier in his speech, the speaker of the ECOWAS parliament, Mouhammae Ousmane, said issues discussed at the workshop would act as a yardstick for future legislations and called on the resource persons and the participants to come up with essential resolutions especially on the management of freshwater in the sub-region.
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