Save Lake Chad basin from climate change disaster
It is certainly no longer in doubt even by the doubting Thomases that the continuous shrinking of the Lake Chad basin is a big source of concern to Africans particularly nationals of Chad, Niger, Cameroun and Nigeria. The President of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), María Espinosa-Garcés, who was in Nigeria on a […]
It is certainly no longer in doubt even by the doubting Thomases that the continuous shrinking of the Lake Chad basin is a big source of concern to Africans particularly nationals of Chad, Niger, Cameroun and Nigeria. The President of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), María Espinosa-Garcés, who was in Nigeria on a visit in May this year described the shrinking of the Lake Chad as ‘’one of the major climate change disasters in Africa’’.
Experts have posited that the Lake has shrinked over the years by as much as 90%. The UNGA President who is a Geographer by profession, had stated that in the last 40 years, the Lake ‘went down from 25, 000 square kilometers to only 2, 500 square kilometers’. Most of the people are of the view that the shrinking of the Lake will continue as long as there is no political will and commitment to address it by member countries. Lake Chadbasin is the world’s largest endorheic basin covering 8% of the African continent. It is located in the Sahelian zone of west-central Africa and it shrinks due to irrigation demands, overuse and Climate among other reasons.It also provides livelihood to more than 40 million persons in the region.
There are presently an alarming estimate of 2.8 million refugees in the Lake Chad region while estimates show that there are 9.2 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in the region.
Experts have also stated times without number that the implication of this situation is that it is a big threat to the lives of the people in terms of wellbeing, food security, development, security of lives and properties among others.
In his usual show of concern for issues affecting lives and property of Nigerians and other fellow Africans,President Muhammadu Buhari urged the global community to urgently support efforts to save Lake Chad from drying up. While lamenting that the lake that provides livelihood for millions of people, is gradually going into extinction leading to increasing migration and insecurity.
Buhari, who stated this in his welcome remarks during the recently held high-level meeting of the International Conference on Lake Chad, solicited for continued collaboration and support to restore Lake Chad. He noted that the effort would be more productive with international support technically and financially.
It is therefore very imperative to declare that issues of the Lake Chad with the urgency they deserve and show the highly needed political will and corresponding commitment towards reviving it. The dire need to share this mission of rescuing the Lake Chad Basin with a renewed vigour, determination and international collaboration must be given accelerated consideration. In the alternative, any inaction or delay will continue to accelerate and aggravate the deteriorating standard of living of millions of our people in the region, the continent and the world at large with serious consequences.
Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Water Resources headed by Engineer Sulaiman Adamu last year took the ‘bull by the horn’ by kick starting the campaign on behalf of the heads of governments of Lake Chad Basin Commission to create a global awareness campaign on the socio economic and environmental challenges arising from the shrinkage.
Already, the Secretary General of the United Nations, UN, Antonio Gutteres had promised to assist raise $50billion for a project to help revive drought stricken lake.
It is indeed my fervent prayer that member nations and the United Nations will not renege on their promise to save the basin from total shrinkage. This is largely because of the Lake’s political, economic and social relevance to the lives millions of people in the region and beyond.
The truth of the matter is that Nigeria under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari has done its best so far and is willing to do more to save the Lake from total shrinkage, its our hope that sooner than later these efforts will start yielding results. all he needs is support from countries and the international community to raise funding and commit themselves to this noble and just cause.
Musa Ilallah
Emeka Anyaoku street Area 11, abuja