The Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) was established on 22 May 1964 by the four countries bordering Lake Chad: Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria, and Chad. The Central African Republic joined the organization in 1996 and Libya was admitted in 2008. Egypt, the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo are observer members. The headquarters of the Commission is located is in N’Djamena, Chad.  The mandates of the Commission include: the management of the Lake Chad and its shared water resources, preservation of the ecosystems and promotion of regional integration, peace, security, and development in the Lake Chad Region. LCBC is a basin organization, member of both the African Network of Basin Organizations (ANBO) and the International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO). The Commission if funded by contributions of member states, but there is an ongoing consideration for an autonomous funding of the Organization.

Mandate

  • To manage of the waters Lake Chad and the other transboundary water resources in a sustainable and equitable way;
  • To conserve the ecosystems of the conventional basin;
  • To promote regional integration and safeguard peace and security in the conventional basin.

Vision of LCBC

The Lake Chad Region would like to see by the year 2025:

  • The Lake Chad – common heritage – and other wetlands maintained at sustainable levels to ensure the economic security of the freshwater ecosystem resources, sustained biodiversity and aquatic resources of the basin, the use of which should be equitable to serve the needs of the population of the Basin thereby reducing the poverty level.
  • A Lake Chad Region where the regional and national authorities accept responsibilities for freshwater, ecosystem and biodiversity conservation and judicious integrated river basin management to achieve sustainable development.
  • A Lake Chad Region where every member state has equitable access to safe and adequate water resources to meet its needs and rights and maintain its freshwater, ecosystem, and biodiversity resources.

Missions

  • To gather, examine and disseminate information about the projects drawn up by member states and recommend a common work plan and joint research programmes in the basin
  • To maintain the link between the High Contracting Parties in order to ensure the most effective use of the water resources
  • To monitor the implementation of the studies and work in the basin and informing member states informed in this regard
  • To draw up a common set of rules to regulate navigation
  • To establish regulations that cover LCBC staffing, and ensure that these are applied
  • To review complaints, encourage the settlement of disputes and reinforce regional cooperation