| Insight In February 2024, the African Development Bank
Group and the Lake Chad Basin Commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding to rehabilitate and restore the Lake Chad Basin. The agreement, signed on the sidelines of the 37th African Union Summit held in Ethiopia, will mobilise financial and technical resources to improve the development and management of water resources, support livelihoods and restore peace in the region. “The population living in this ecosystem are facing major socio-economic challenges – add to that the insecurity situation due to terrorist groups which brings loss of livelihood, destruction of households, forced internal displacements and beyond our national frontiers,” said Republic of Chad Minister of Water, Passalet Kanade Marssela. African Development Bank Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery, Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, told dignitaries and sector leaders in water and agriculture at the signing ceremony that the agreement provides a framework for projects and programmes to improve the quality of life for millions of Africans. “This Memorandum of Understanding involves transforming living conditions in the hydrographic basin of the six member countries of the Lake Chad Basin Commission. As the main financial partner of the Commission for several years, we will consolidate the gains made, through a new integrated regional programme that accelerates sustainable solutions to the challenges of Lake Chad and further improves the living conditions of the basin’s population,” she said. The Lake Chad Basin Commission named the African Development Bank the “Champion Lead Partner for resource mobilisation for the revival of the Lake Chad.”
Ambassador Mamman Nuhu, Executive Secretary of the Lake Chad Basin Commission said: “Our shared goal is to ensure the sustainability of the Lake Chad Basin, especially the lake, which has dramatically shrunk due to climate change and increased human demands. This…is a manifestation of our commitment to ensuring water security, economic prosperity, and stability in the region. It is an integral part of our shared goal to build climate resilience and sustainable growth.” The African Development Bank has a track
record of impactful support for the Lake Chad Basin Commission and its goals. Since 2005, the Bank has financed $241.3 million for several multinational projects in the water, transport, environment, and social sectors.
Recently, the Bank also approved US$17.8million for
a United Nations Development Progamme initiative, “Breaking the cycle of fragility through stabilisation in Lake Chad”, which is expected to raise up to US$21.5million in additional financing from partner organisations. The Bank is also developing a multi-year institutional capacity building program to strengthen the Lake Chad Basin Commission to carry out in-depth environmental, technical and economic studies that will inform solutions, decision-making, and financing requirements for Basin restoration. In addition, the Bank’s African Water Facility is financing the development of the second, five-year investment plan to build a pipeline of projects for the sustainable and
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beneficial use of water resources in the basin, as well as prepare the groundwork for further investments.
Agents of peace Cooperation is not a linear process, new challenges
can arise at any time, and transboundary cooperation is a long process that requires time and trust-building, UNESCO points out in its report. And this is why transboundary river basin organisations “are crucial convening and negotiating forums” which can serve as “agents of peace”.
In contrast, inequalities in the allocation of water
resources can be counterproductive to peace and social stability. The impacts of climate change, geopolitical unrest, pandemics, mass migration, hyperinflation and other crises can exacerbate water access inequalities. In nearly all cases, the poorest and most vulnerable groups are those that suffer the greatest risks to their well-being and livelihoods, UNESCO warns. “Water does not appear to have become a prevalent ‘trigger’ of conflict,” the report states.” However, it adds, attacks targeting civilian water infrastructure, including treatment plants, distribution systems and dams violate international law and must be severely condemned by the international community in all cases.” As the report concludes: Appropriate legal and institutional arrangements need to be established or enhanced to deal with growing competition over transboundary water resources. Flexible arrangements adaptable to changing pressures, particularly measures for climate change adaptation and mitigation, and inclusion of consultation and dispute settlement procedures, will be crucial. Advancing water cooperation and water diplomacy will require increasing capacity, at all levels, including for negotiating new agreements and joint bodies, strengthening existing ones, and addressing the linkages between water and other development objectives.
Above: UNESCO logo. © QubixStudio /
Shutterstock.com
Below: Aerial view of the Itaipu Hydroelectric Dam on the Parana River which flows through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina
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