UNDERSTANDING CLIMATE CHANGE AND IT'S IMPACT IMPACT ON RIVER BASINS - CASE STUDY OF THE LAKE HAD. ON RIVER BASINS - CASE STUDY OF THE LAKE CHAD

Abstract

Straddling the borders ofChad, Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger in West Africa, the Lake Chad river basin has provided freshwater and supported livestock, crops and fisheries for people in these countries for thousands of years. But Lake Chad's popularity is contributing to its decline, and the lake is slowly disappearing due to a variety of factors such as overuse of water resources, climate change, poor enforcement of environmental legislation, and weak capacity for water resources management. This paper takes a closer look at climate change, global actions against climate change and the sustainable development goal number 13 on climate change with a view to understanding it from the proper perspective, it's general impacts and specifically, it's impact on the Lake Chad. The study approach here was a careful review of available literatures, position papers and presentations at the just concluded International Conference on the Lake Chad held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja Nigeria sometimes in January, 20 i 8. Findings revealed that the desert is encroaching on what once was one of the largest water bodies in Africa. The latest information tells us that the lake's water level and size has shrunk a massive 90% compared with what it was in the 1960s, while its surface area has decreased from a peak Of 25,000 square kilometers to approximately 1,350 sq.km today. Climate changes, which have resulted in more droughts and less rainfall, have helped to create conditions leading to the Lake's general decline. Collaboration of border countries, inter-basin water transfer, restoration of peace, sustainable agricultural best practices and reinvigorated afforestation were recommended amongst others to help reverse the disastrous trajectory of the Lake Chad and prevent it's associated crisis including food shortage and massive rural-urban migration.