NAN-AE-2
Climate
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, March 13, 2017 (NAN) The Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) has identified insurgency and climate change as major challenges to effective groundwater management in the basin.
Its Technical Director, Dr Mana Boubakari, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday that concerted efforts were required from all stakeholders to reverse the trend.
He said the situation was worsened by population growth in the region following the inflow of refugees.
The commission is an intergovernmental organisation that oversees water and other natural resource usage in the basin.
There are eight member governments—i.e., Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Algeria, the Central African Republic, Libya, and Sudan—chosen for their proximity to Lake Chad.
According to him, no fewer than nine million people, whose livelihood depend on the depleting lake, live in the region,.
“If the problems of the basin are not addressed, more conflicts, and violence will erupt in the area.
“The activities of Boko Haram, effect of climate change, flooding and drought have caused poor yield in farming, displacement of communities, unemployment, and poverty.
“The countries of the Lake Chad Basin Commission need to sit down together and look at ways of enforcing best practices to maintain and protect the water treasure that we have,’’ Boubakari said.
He said the effect of global warming and inefficient management of the watershed had caused the displacement of both pastoralists and fishermen, who depended on the water.
He said urgent efforts were needed to scale up access to water in the region since the lake was shrinking daily.
The technical director, therefore, called on member states to ratify the water charter in the basin to meet the rising demand for water.
Boubakari stated that the commission will embark on a campaign aimed at safeguarding the region in line with the LCBC Common Vision 2025.
While commending the Multi-National Joint Force fighting the insurgents in the region, the technical director called for greater efforts to secure the region and the infrastructure in the area.
He also stressed the need for proper management of the basin as it is the only source of ground water for the people. (NAN)
TAK/JEY/YEE
Edited by Johnson Eyiangho/Emmanuel Yashim
==================================