When British explorer Hugh Clapperton reached Lake Chad in 1823, he encountered one of Africa’s largest inland lakes, but two centuries later, it has lost about 90% of its surface area, putting millions of livelihoods at risk and prompting renewed calls for a $50 billion plan to redirect water from the Congo River Basin.
Lake Chad is disappearing. Can Africa’s $50 billion water project protect 50 million livelihoods across four countries?
- Lake Chad has shrunk by about 90% since the 1960s, threatening the livelihoods of nearly 50 million people in four countries.
- An ambitious $50 billion Transaqua project proposes to redirect water from the Congo River Basin to Lake Chad, but remains only a plan due to technical, political, and financial challenges.
- African governments and partners have launched several funding initiatives, including a $10 million technical programme and hundreds of millions more in recovery and resilience projects.
- Population growth, increased irrigation, and climate change have intensified competition for water, reducing fish stocks and farmland.
Once one of Africa’s largest inland water bodies, Lake Chad covered roughly 25,000 square kilometres at its peak, although its size has always fluctuated with rainfall and seasonal conditions.
In 1823, British explorers Hugh Clapperton, Dixon Denham and Walter Oudney became some of the first Europeans to document the lake and the surrounding kingdoms.
Since the 1960s, however, Lake Chad has lost about 90% of its surface area.
Today, the wider basin supports close to 50 million people across Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria. Fishing, farming, livestock production and cross-border trade remain important
However, climate change has intensified pressure on the lake, with rising temperatures, prolonged droughts and changing rainfall patterns reducing water availability, while population growth and expanding irrigation increase demand.
Consequently, fish production has declined, farmland has disappeared and competition for water and grazing areas has increased.
The economic damage now reaches far beyond the shoreline, weakening household incomes, threatening food security and increasing reliance on humanitarian support.
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African governments and development institutions have begun funding smaller and more immediate interventions.
In May 2026, the African Development Bank, the Lake Chad Basin Commission and its five member states launched a $10 million technical assistance programme.
Known as PARFEBALT, the initiative will improve water data, strengthen regional governance and prepare larger investments to restore the lake’s ecological and economic functions.
Previously, the World Bank approved $346 million in 2020 for two regional programmes supporting livelihoods, cooperation and resilience across Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.
A separate $170 million Lake Chad Region Recovery and Development Project has supported climate-resilient agriculture, reopened markets and expanded employment.
Additionally, the World Bank approved another $170 million in February 2025 to improve transport, logistics and regional value chains in Chad.
The programme is expected to benefit 3.8 million people and finance major road connections.
The African Development Fund has also committed $17.97 million to stabilisation programmes in Cameroon and Chad, targeting about 125,200 people.
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Lake Chad in 1967 vs Lake Chad NowBusiness Insider Africa
Italian engineering company Bonifica Spa proposed Transaqua in 1982, a plan to build a 2,400-kilometre canal from Congo River tributaries to the Chari River, Lake Chad’s main water source.
For decades, the proposal remained largely an engineering concept because of its scale, cost and need for cooperation across several countries.
However, it gained regional attention after the 14th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Lake Chad Basin Commission in April 2016.
Following the summit, the commission signed a memorandum of understanding with POWERCHINA International Group Limited to support plans to transfer water from the Congo Basin to Lake Chad.
POWERCHINA vice-president Tian Hailua said the company would provide technical and financial assistance and committed US$1.8 million to support preparatory work on the proposed transfer.
Supporters argue that the proposed US$50 billion Transaqua project, which is being coordinated by the Lake Chad Basin Commission on behalf of participating governments, could restore water levels, generate electricity and support agriculture, transport and industrial development across the region.
However, Transaqua remains a proposal rather than an approved construction project, with its cost, environmental risks and the need for agreements among multiple governments delaying progress.
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Lake Chad’s retreat has unfolded alongside poverty, unemployment and insecurity across the basin.
Although the environmental decline did not create the region’s conflicts, the loss of fishing grounds and farmland has reduced economic opportunities.
Boko Haram and other extremist groups have exploited unemployment, weak state presence and social frustration across north-eastern Nigeria and neighbouring countries.
More than 77,500 people were displaced across the basin between January and July 2026, increasing pressure on governments to restore livelihoods and strengthen local economies.
For now, Transaqua remains an ambitious proposal rather than an approved project, leaving millions of people dependent on urgent action to protect livelihoods and secure the region’s future.
