Environmental Peacebuilding Lessons from the Lake Chad Region

Zara Goni, World Bank (Nigeria)

The Lake Chad Basin — spanning Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon — exemplifies the compounding dynamics of environmental degradation, climate change, and insecurity. Since the 1960s, Lake Chad has shrunk by over 90%, drastically reducing water availability and arable land for communities whose livelihoods depend on agriculture, fishing, and livestock. Erratic rainfall, rising temperatures, and prolonged droughts are disrupting food systems, driving displacement, and intensifying resource competition between farmers, herders, and fishing communities. Armed groups exploit these stresses and weak governance to fuel recruitment and conflict, while limited youth opportunities, social fragmentation, and cross-border governance gaps further constrain peace and resilience efforts.

Tackling these challenges requires integrated, regionally coordinated responses. The speaker discusses strengthening the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) and advancing transboundary agreements on water and land use — alongside investment in ecosystem restoration and community-based natural resource management — as concrete entry points for building dialogue and reducing conflict. Engaging youth through green jobs and cross-border peace networks can counter recruitment into armed groups, while women's meaningful participation in mediation and resource governance strengthens the sustainability of outcomes. Ultimately, durable peacebuilding in the basin demands conflict-sensitive climate adaptation, early warning systems, and approaches that bridge humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding action.