Water resources management in the Lake Chad basin: diagnosis and action plan.

International audienceABSTRACT: Scarcity of water resources constitutes a major problem for sustainable development in the Chad basin. By 1976, Lake Chad had lost nearly 90% of its water volume. Its surface area had shrunk from 25,000 km2 to less than 3000 km2, and its surface level had fallen by 4 m. Therefore, maintaining secure water supplies for drinking, industry and agriculture would be impossible without groundwater. To effect the sustainable management of the Lake Chad basin, the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) has been created. Discussions about the relationship between surface water and groundwater, sediment, water protection, social and economic benefits of water, and the use of water resources for irrigation have clearly outlined uncertainties in managing the system due to incomplete knowledge and lacking data. This study indicates the need for: (1) permanent monitoring research, which will provide the data essential to generate a quantitative perspective on the status of the water resources systems and to validate the conceptual understanding; (2) more international cooperation and coordination between the LCBC members within their jurisdiction; and (3) joint studies and research programmes in order to strengthen the capacity for strategic and integrated water resources management