Climate change: Lake Chad Basin Commission begins movement of water from Congo

• Project to gulp $1.8 million

In an effort to save the Lake Chad Basin from the effect of climate change, the Lake Chad Basin Commission is to begin movement of water from the Congo Basin.

To this effect, the Commission and POWERCHINA International Group Limited have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to actualise the transfer.

Speaking at the signing on Wednesday in Abuja, the Minister, Water Resources, Engr Suleiman Adamu explained that the POWERCHINA Corporation has expanded the feasibility study earlier done by CIMA International in 2011.

According to him, the study shows that it is technically feasible to transfer water from River Congo to Lake Chad thereby increasing the level of the lake.

This, he stressed, would halt the receding lake and drying of the north basin due to climate change.

He further revealed based on the study that the process can potentially transfer 50 billion cubic metres of water annually to the Chad Basin through a series of dams in Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic.

However, he noted that the project was a generational project as it would take a long time to actualize due to the huge capital involved and the complex nature of the project.

To this end, he called for concerted efforts from all to see that the project is achievable as this would save the livelihood of over 40 million people living within the basin.

Also, the Minister on behalf of the government of Nigeria, signed an MoU with the same company to harness the Water Resources Master Plan in the area of hydropower and irrigation development.

In his remarks, the Vice-President of POWERCHINA, Mr. Tian Hailua said that the company was committing both technical and financial assistance towards the actualisation of the water transfer to the lake.

He added that the company has agreed to fund the project to the tune of us $1.8 million in order to make life more meaningful socially and economically to the people within the basin.

He explained that with the transfer of water to the lake, there is the potential to develop series of irrigated areas for crops and livestock of over an area of 50,000 to 70,000 km2 in the basin.