Sedimentation and Silting Control
in the Lake Chad Basin
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Sedimentation and Silting Control in the Lake Chad Basin
Restoring Waterways
and Ecosystems for Resilience
Sedimentation and silting are among the most pressing environmental challenges facing the Lake Chad Basin. These processes—caused by erosion, land degradation, and climate variability—threaten water quality, reduce the capacity of rivers and reservoirs, and disrupt ecosystems and livelihoods. The Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) is actively addressing these issues through targeted interventions and strategic planning.
Understanding the Challenge
Over the past decades, sedimentation has intensified due to:
· Water and wind erosion in upstream catchments.
· Deforestation and unsustainable land use practices.
· Climate change impacts, including extreme rainfall and drought.
· Invasive aquatic plants obstructing water channels.
These factors contribute to the shrinking of Lake Chad, the formation of islands, and the loss of navigability and ecological function in tributaries and wetlands.
LCBC’s Strategic Response
LCBC’s sedimentation and silting control efforts are embedded in:
· Strategic Action Programme (SAP 2023–2037): Defines Environmental Quality Objective 3 (EQO3) to reduce sedimentation and silting.
· Water Charter (2012): Promotes sustainable land and water management.
· Regional DRR/CCA Strategy: Integrates erosion control into climate resilience.
Key Pillars of Sedimentation Control
Watershed Protection and Erosion Control
- Rehabilitation of headwaters and riverbanks.
- Integrated anti-erosion management in priority catchments.
- Promotion of agroforestry and sustainable land use.
Desilting and Dredging
Operations
- Mapping and dredging of critical lake and river sections.
- Clearing of invasive plants from water channels.
- Restoration of navigability and water flow.
Reforestation and
Vegetation Cover
- Planting of windbreaks and dune stabilization.
- Support for natural regeneration and deferred grazing.
- Collaboration with the Great Green Wall Initiative.
Community Engagement and Sustainable Practices
- Promotion of eco-friendly farming and grazing techniques.
- Capacity building for local actors in erosion control.
- Integration of traditional knowledge and modern science.
Achievements and Innovations
Targeted dredging
projects
improving water flow.
Regional DRR/CCA Strategy
Institutionalizing disaster risk
governance and climate
resilience.
Community-led re-
forestation campaigns.
Monitoring systems
for sedimentation trends and erosion hotspots.
Looking Ahead
LCBC envisions a Lake Chad Basin where sedimentation is managed, waterways are restored, and ecosystems are resilient. Through the SAP and collaborative efforts with Member States and partners, LCBC is transforming sedimentation control into a driver of environmental recovery and sustainable development.
By investing in nature-based solutions, infrastructure, and inclusive governance, LCBC is ensuring that the Lake Chad Basin remains a vibrant and life-sustaining region for generations to come.
