28th February, 2018
Development Banks on Wednesday reiterated their commitment toward financing projects targeted at saving Lake Chad and fostering its prosperity.
World Bank and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) made the commitment at the International Conference on Lake Chad (ICLC) in Abuja.
The theme of the conference is “Saving the Lake Chad to Revitalise the Basin’s Ecosystem for Sustainable Livelihood, Security and Development’’.
The conference, which was convened by UNESCO, Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) and the Federal Government had member states on the borders of the lake in attendance.
Mr Jim Yong, the President of World Bank said the bank supported national and regional interventions, adding that it had initiated pilot projects in member states bordering the Lake Chad Basin.
Yong was represented by Mr Francis Makobongo, the Country Manager for Chad African Region of the bank.
Yong said: “The World Bank is supporting in North East Nigeria with interventions focusing on health, education and social protection, livelihood deficits, among other issues, which is 775 million dollars financial support.
“In Cameroon, the sum of 610 million dollars will go the World Bank board of executive directors on March 3, to support resilience and host communities.
“In Niger, the project is intervening in agriculture, displaced people with 300 million dollars. In Chad, the bank is also supporting financially,” he said.
Yong said the interventions were focusing on adaptability, implementation and community level engagement, cross border trade, among other issues of concern.
Yong said the bank was working with the LCBC on ground water leveling for the lake, which would provide operational capabilities for remote sensing based on hydro- metrological monitoring across the LCB and the member states.
“The World Bank is currently exchanging with other development partners such as UN agencies, African Development Bank, the EU, and the French Development Agency on respective programmes to identify possible synergies for a stronger collaboration.
“This is aimed at supporting a transition from humanitarian to development response and to increase the resilience of people living in extreme poverty in the LCB.
“The World bank is committed to help restore stability in the Lake Chad region and foster prosperity, bridge on humanitarian needs,” Yong said.
The president, however, said that climate change and conflict consequences had no boundaries and should be addressed as very important.
READ: Buhari stresses need for political commitment to revive Lake Chad Basin
Mr Bandar Al Hajjar, the President Islamic Development Bank (IDB) said the bank was committed to providing platforms for the consolidated financial support of member states on the LCB.
Al Hajjar, who was represented by his Vice President, Mr Mansur Muktar, said that the IDB signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the LCBC to restore the depleted lake.
According to him, the bank still considers the content of the MoU very relevant and will welcome opportunities raised by the conference in ensuring that the lake is restored.
In his remarks, Mr Getachew Engida,the Deputy Director-General, UNESCO said that the organisation was dedicated to restoring the lake owing to its 20 years working experience in the region.
Engida said that LCB was a basin of trans-boundary nest and any resolutions from the conference should take into account appropriate the trans-boundary aspect.
“UNESCO is at the forefront of managing trans-boundary resources such as water, cultural heritage, terrestrial existence.”
He said water was a catalyst for cooperation and UNESCO was ready to assist member states restored the lake for societal benefits and the generations to come.
Engida also condemned the activities of insecurity, terrorism going on at the LCB, adding that it had encouraged abductions such as the recent abduction of Dapchi school girls in Yobe state.
He added that the organisation stood for gender equality and the abduction deprived the girls of their human rights.
Lake Chad Basin size in the 1960s is up to 25,000 square kilometres, but had shrunk to 2,500 square kilometers in 2000.