The African Development Bank Group, the Lake Chad Basin Commission (CBLT) and the Commission's five member states have launched last May, a $10 million technical support project to prepare the investments needed to restore the ecological and economic functions of Lake Chad and strengthen the resilience of millions of people who depend on its resources.
The Technical Support Project for the Restoration of the Ecological and Economic Functions of the Lake Chad Basin (PARFEBALT), funded by the African Development Fund with additional financing from the CBLT covering 10 percent of the project's total cost, will enhance knowledge of the basin's water resources and improve their governance.
Opening the project launch workshop, Passalet Kanabé Marcelin, Chad's Minister for Water and Energy and current Chair of the CBLT Council of Ministers, emphasised that the Lake Chad basin is a vital area for millions of people, whose livelihoods depend directly on water, agriculture, fishing and livestock farming.
"PARFEBALT is a technical assistance project, but above all, it is a project to prepare for the future: it aims to strengthen knowledge of water resources, improve water and ecosystem governance, and create the conditions necessary to mobilise funding for a transformative regional investment programme," Minister Marcelin said, highlighting the strategic importance of the project in alleviating the combined effects of climate change, ecosystem degradation and growing pressure on natural resources.
Workshop participants reviewed technical studies that will guide future investments in the basin. The studies will assess ways to improve water flows in the Chari-Logone and Komadougou-Yobé river systems, which provide most of Lake Chad's inflows, while evaluating sustainable options to raise the lake's water level. They will also examine environmental, climatic, economic and social factors to identify the most viable solutions for restoring the basin.
Recognising the growing impact of climate change, the project will establish a regional early-warning system to improve flood and drought forecasting and deploy modern tools for water resource modelling and planning. These measures will provide CBLT member states with more reliable data to guide their water management policies and strengthen the resilience of communities.
Speaking on behalf of the African Development Bank Group, Francis Dogo, Country Manager for Chad, highlighted the urgency of reversing decades of environmental degradation in the basin.
"Lake Chad, one of Africa's largest freshwater bodies, has lost a significant portion of its surface area in recent decades, dropping from 25,000 km² in 1960 to around 2,500 km² during its driest periods, although conditions have improved somewhat in recent years," Dogo said.
He noted that recurrent droughts and floods, overexploitation of natural resources, conflicts between farmers and herders, and insecurity continue to threaten the basin, stressing that stronger transboundary water management is essential to advance regional integration, enhance food security and build resilience of local communities.
Participants agreed that the studies and tools developed under PARFEBALT would lay the groundwork for mobilising substantial investment to restore the lake's hydrological functions, revitalise agricultural, livestock and fisheries, reduce communities' vulnerability to climate shocks, and contribute to stability across a region that is home to more than 40 million people.
The workshop concluded with recommendations to strengthen communication around the project to support resource mobilisation, accelerate the operationalisation of national focal points, reinforce the Technical Monitoring Committee with additional high-level expertise, and enhance project monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
Reaffirming the African Development Bank's long-term commitment to the initiative, Dogo said: "We have a duty to succeed, and we will succeed."
