Lake Chad: NGO, Stakeholders partner to save Millions of People

Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE), in conjunction with Konrad and other stakeholders, have pledged to help save over 30 million people in the Lake Chad region from humanitarian emergency.

They made the pledge in Abuja at a two-day forum organised by GLOBE, an international NGO, in collaboration with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, a German Foundation on Climate Policy and Energy Security Programme for Sub-Saharan Africa.

The forum is the second discussion on the Lake Chad Basin by the group entitled “Yesterday, Today and Future Prospects between Humanitarian Crisis and Climate Change”.

Lake Chad is a freshwater lake located in the Sahelian Zone of West/Central Africa.

According to a 2007 UN report, it is economically vital and provides water to more than 30 million people living in the four countries surrounding it, including Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, on the edge of the Sahara.

It is the largest lake in the Chad Basin and it borders Nigeria in the North Eastern region.

It has generated so much concern over the years because it is shrinking significantly and posing great threat to the survival of the over 30 million people that depend on it for livelihood.

In his remarks, the President of GLOBE Nigeria, Sen. Bukar Abba Ibrahim, said that the crisis in Lake Chad, if not nipped in bud through collaborative effort, would result to serious environmental, political, socio-economic and humanitarian crisis.

The lawmaker called for an urgent and well-tailored approach to the crisis, adding that all hands must be on deck to prevent the impending danger.

“The unique mix of political fragility and inadequate climate change resilience puts this region on a dangerous precipice.

“It is with pleasure that I acknowledge the participation of the international community in this forum, most notably the Embassies of Germany and Chad, as well as the delegation from the Nigerian Government, the Konrad Adeneaur Foundation from Berlin, our distinguished academics and international stakeholders.

“It is important to realise that lasting solutions to the crisis can only come about through a joint effort of all the affected nations. It is essential that we unite towards development in this region.

“It is, therefore, of extreme importance that the various conversations that will take place in this workshop revolve around practical steps that can be taken by government, particularly the National Assembly.

“It is befitting that this event is taking place within the National Assembly complex.

“This should serve as a reminder of the need for key take-aways that can be championed by GLOBE Nigeria and the relevant standing committees of our parliaments.’’

The lawmaker said GLOBE comprised parliamentarians from over 80 countries, who were committed to developing and overseeing the implementation of laws in pursuit of sustainable development.

According to him, GLOBE is a non-partisan political organisation that supports legislators through national chapters to develop and advance laws on climate change, natural capital accounting and forest conservation among others.

The National Coordinator of GLOBE Nigeria, Mr. Innocent Onah, said the forum focused on Lake Chad because it had been of concern not just to Nigeria but other countries bordering it.

While commending President Muhammadu Buhari for making Lake Chad a strategic point, he said it was expedient that the parliament lent its voice to support the initiative.

He added that the collaboration was expedient in view of the fact that the crisis was multifaceted, adding that it had security implications and had generated a lot of concerns.

The workshop, he said, would follow up from the first discussion organised by the Konrad Adeneaur Foundation held in September 2017 in Yaoundé, Cameroon, to gain deep understanding on humanitarian situation around the Lake Chad Basin.

“It is important that this group of legislators lend their voice in collaboration with the Federal Government and our international partners to see how we can talk about proffering lasting solutions.

“We will come up with resolutions from this meeting to chart the way forward.”

Onah noted that the African Development Bank and professors from various schools had conducted researches Lake Chad.

He said that at the end of the workshop, an action plan would be developed which would be presented to the parliament and the Federal Executive Council.

The coordinator noted that the forum was organised to understand historical antecedents of the Lake Chad Basin, the food security issues and to chart a better future for the basin.

“It is to understand the role of the legislature and the country at large in addressing climate change.

“We will also, among other things, highlight climate change and green growth challenges and opportunities in Africa and the Lake Chad Basin.

“We will further sensitise the public and highlight the relevance of collective efforts in addressing the myriads of environmental problems through facilitation, keynote paper presentations, panel paper presentation, discussion and video documentary.’’

He explained that the GLOBE network was filling a missing gap in international negotiation by ensuring that lawmakers underpinned international agreements and monitor implementation.

The Resident Representative of Konrad Adenauer Foundation to Nigeria, Dr. Vladimir Kreck, said the forum was one of the many laudable events organised over the last two years.

According to him, the forum is focused on Lake Chad because it is one of the largest lakes in the world and it provides food and water for over 30 million people.

He however noted that climate change had affected the lake in a very negative way, causing humanitarian crisis that must be tackled urgently.

“We have to discuss ways and possibilities to end this crisis.

“African countries around the region have to agree upon joint activities because all the countries are affected by the shrinking of Lake Chad and the communities in these countries are affected in terms of food security and survival.

“Also, the development of all neighbouring countries are affected by the shrinking of the lake and the only possibility to tackle the problem is to create joint activities to save the basin and the people living around it,’’ Onah said.