The restoration of Lake Chad has once again become a regional priority, with renewed efforts to recover its ecological and economic functions. In the face of the lake’s drastic shrinkage, the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) has launched an ambitious project to revitalize this crucial ecosystem, with support from international organizations and the member countries of the basin.
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The Technical Support Project for the Restoration of the Ecological and Economic Functions of the Lake Chad Basin (PARFEBALT) aims to ensure the lake’s sustainability through three key pillars: conducting studies for its recovery, improving water resource management, and strengthening the institutional capacities of the LCBC and its member states (Cameroon, Chad, Niger, the Central African Republic, and Nigeria). This initiative responds to the growing pressures on the lake, whose surface area has drastically decreased in recent decades, affecting local communities, farmers, fishermen, and herders.
The financing agreement for this project, signed on March 20, 2025, in N’Djamena, includes an investment of $10.2 million, with contributions from the African Development Fund and the Transition Support Facility. “This initiative represents a commitment to the communities that depend on the lake for their livelihood. It is crucial to ensure that local populations, especially women and young people, have access to sustainable economic opportunities to adapt to climate challenges,” emphasized Mamman Nuhu, Executive Secretary of the LCBC.
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The region faces increasing environmental and security challenges, ranging from extreme droughts to conflicts over access to water resources. In response, the LCBC has reinforced its intervention strategy with the 2023-2025 Strategic Action Program, to which PARFEBALT is now added as a concrete step toward restoring Lake Chad’s vitality. “This is not just about water; it is about stability and development for the entire region,” stated Claude N’Kodia, Acting Manager for Chad at the African Development Bank Group.
With this initiative, efforts to restore Lake Chad gain new momentum, aiming to reestablish its role as an economic and ecological engine of the Sahel. Revitalizing this ecosystem will not only benefit millions of people but also contribute to stability and sustainable development in one of Africa’s most vulnerable regions.
