Sustainable Development Programme of the Lake Chad Basin (PRODEBALT)
2018-02-01 08:00 - 2025-12-31 17:00 (Africa/Lagos)
The Sustainable Development Programme of the Lake Chad Basin (PRODEBALT) is one of the responses to the serious problems confronting…

Sustainable Management of the Water Resources of the Lake Chad Basin (BGR)
2018-03-01 08:00 - 2025-09-30 17:00
Overview

This module is part of the broader technical cooperation between the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) and the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The project supports LCBC in strengthening its competencies for transboundary groundwater resource management in the Lake Chad Basin.

Lake Chad Region Recovery and Development Project - PROLAC - LCBC Project
2021-01-01 00:00 - 2025-12-31 00:00
Lake Chad Region Recovery and Development Project –
PROLAC – LCBC Project
Overview
The Lake Chad Region Recovery and Development Project (PROLAC) is a regional initiative funded by the World Bank through the International Development Association (IDA), aimed at supporting the recovery and resilience of communities in the Lake Chad Basin. The project is implemented by the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) alongside national governments of Cameroon, Chad, and Niger.
Objective
To contribute to the recovery of the Lake Chad Region by supporting regional coordination and crisis monitoring, improving connectivity, and strengthening agricultural livelihoods in selected provinces of Cameroon, Chad, and Niger.

LCBC-Executed Component
Component 1: Regional Lake Chad Knowledge and Monitoring Platform and Secretariat for the Development of the Lake Chad Region
Budget: US$5 million (LCBC share)
Objective: To reinforce regional dialogue, data monitoring and dissemination, citizen engagement, and social cohesion through the establishment of a regional knowledge and monitoring platform.
Key Activities:

Establishment of the LCBC PROLAC Project Implementation Unit (PIU):

Coordinates regional dialogue and development vision.
Facilitates knowledge creation and dissemination.
Organizes learning and monitoring workshops.

Development of the Knowledge and Monitoring Platform:

Web-hosted platform integrating spatial and temporal datasets.
Collaboration with academic and research institutions.
Capacity building in data collection and geospatial analysis.

Annual International Forum on the Development of the Lake Chad Region:

High-level event bringing together stakeholders from member states, development partners, and local authorities.
Platform for reporting, harmonizing strategies, and planning new initiatives.

Support to the Regional Coordination Committee (RCC):

Provides oversight and strategic guidance.
Prepares joint action plans and statements.

Expected Results:

Operational regional knowledge platform.
Increased access to development data.
Strengthened regional cooperation and policy harmonization.
Enhanced capacity of LCBC as a regional coordination body.

Cross-Cutting Themes

Gender Inclusion: Ensuring 50% participation of women in project activities and decision-making bodies.
Youth Engagement: Targeted support for youth through training and employment opportunities.
Climate Resilience: Integration of climate-smart practices and data into planning and implementation.

Alignment with Strategic Frameworks

Regional Strategy for Stabilization, Recovery and Resilience (RSS)
World Bank’s Strategy for Fragility, Conflict, and Violence (2020–2025)
Country Partnership Frameworks (CPF) for Cameroon, Chad, and Niger

Contact
Implementing Agency: Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC)
Location: N’Djamena, Chad
Email: PROLAC-CBLT@cblt.org
Coordinator: Alio Abdoulaye

Applied Water Resource Management in the Lake Chad Basin with GIZ (2023-2026 Project)
2023-01-01 08:00 - 2028-12-30 17:00
Applied Water Resource Management in the Lake Chad Basin (GIZ-CBLT 2023 – 2026)

Project Overview
The Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), in partnership with the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), is implementing the project*“Applied Water Resource Management in the Lake Chad Basin”* to strengthen sustainable, climate-resilient and conflict-sensitive management of shared water resources across the region.
Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the project is being implemented from January 2023 to December 2026 across LCBC member countries, including Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria and the Central African Republic.
Context and Rationale
The Lake Chad Basin is a vital ecological and economic zone, supporting millions of people through agriculture, livestock, and fisheries. However, the basin faces increasing pressure from overuse of water resources, environmental degradation, and pollution. These challenges are further compounded by climate variability, resulting in heightened competition over resources and rising conflicts among communities.
In response, the LCBC seeks to promote equitable, climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable management of transboundary water resources to support regional stability and livelihoods.
Project Objective
The project aims to strengthen the capacity of the LCBC to effectively guide its member states in managing water resources in ways that are:

environmentally sustainable
climate-adapted
gender-responsive
conflict-sensitive.

Key Interventions
To achieve its objective, the project focuses on several strategic actions:

Strengthening Knowledge and Data Systems

The project supports the development and enhancement of the Lake Chad Basin Information System, facilitating improved collection, processing, and use of data for informed decision-making on water resource management.

Enhancing Advisory Capacity of LCBC

Efforts are underway to establish a structured advisory forum that enables the LCBC to provide targeted, evidence-based guidance to its member countries on water governance and management practices.

Promoting Multi-Stakeholder Engagement

The project supports a partner platform on the Logone River, bringing together stakeholders, local communities, and institutions to identify pressing water-related challenges and jointly develop solutions tailored to local realities.
Local communities, including farmers, fishermen, and livestock breeders, are trained as resource persons to promote sustainable practices such as:

use of drought-resistant crops
rainwater harvesting techniques
resource-efficient agricultural methods

These peer-to-peer learning approaches help disseminate knowledge widely and strengthen resilience at the grassroots level.
Cross-Cutting Themes
The project integrates several important cross-cutting priorities:

Gender equality and inclusion
Climate change adaptation
Peacebuilding and conflict mitigation
Participatory governance

Expected Impact
Through its interventions, the project is expected to:

improve regional cooperation in water resource management
strengthen LCBC’s institutional capacity
enhance livelihoods through sustainable practices
reduce tensions related to resource use
support long-term environmental sustainability in the basin

Conclusion
The Applied Water Resource Management Project represents a strategic contribution to the LCBC’s mandate of fostering sustainable and peaceful use of shared natural resources. By combining technical support, institutional strengthening, and community engagement, the initiative lays the foundation for a more resilient and stable Lake Chad Basin.

Lake Chad Basin Conservation Project (PCBLT)
2023-03-01 00:00 - 2026-12-31 00:00
Lake Chad Basin Conservation Project (PCBLT)

Duration: March 2023 – December 2026
Budget: CAD $25 million, + CAD $1.1M of in-kind contribution from Alinea and its consortium partners
Financial Partner: Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
Implementing Partner: Alinea International
Strategic Partner: Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC)
Consortium Partners: Centre for Forestry Education and Research (CERFO), Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER), United Nations Association in Canada (UNAC), Centre for the Promotion of Human Rights and Development in Africa (CPHDA)
Community Partners: AGIR Plus- Niger, Alliance Citoyenne pour le Développement et l’Education à l’Environnement (ACEEN-Cameroon) and Organisation Sauvons le Lac Tchad (OSLT-Chad)
Introduction
The Lake Chad Basin Conservation Project (LCBCP) strengthens the climate resilience of ecosystems and marginalized communities, particularly women and youth, across six Ramsar sites in Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. These regions face ecological degradation, biodiversity loss, hydrological instability, and increasing tensions around the utilization of natural resources.
Project Pillars
Wetland Conservation & Climate Adaptation
The project promotes the restauration and conservation of wetlands and agropastoral areas by marginalized communities highly vulnerable to climate change, across protected areas of the Lake Chad Basin registered under the Ramsar Convention.
Through community-led restoration, climate adaptation practices, and environmental stewardship, the project protects fragile ecosystems while improving community resilience to climate shocks.
Women & Youth Economic Empowerment
The project supports women and youth in vulnerable agropastoral communities located within and around priority Ramsar sites to adopt and benefit from sustainable, climate-smart agricultural livelihoods.
By strengthening adaptive capacities, income-generating activities, and access to productive resources, the project enhances food security, economic resilience, and adaptation to climate change.
Environmental Peacebuilding & Leadership
The project enhances the leadership of women and youth in environmental peacebuilding around targeted Ramsar sites and within existing regional stabilization processes. By strengthening inclusive governance, dialogue, and community engagement, the project reinforces social cohesion and peace across the Lake Chad Basin and contributes to the Regional Stabilization Strategy of the LCBC and its partners.
Objectives
The project aims to:

Restore degraded ecosystems and strengthen biodiversity.
Support the utilization of NbS for climate adaptation and resilience.
Promote inclusive and equitable resource governance.
Advance gender equality and social inclusion.
Support climate-resilient livelihoods for women, youth, and marginalized groups.
Strengthen cross-border environmental cooperation.
Integrate environmental peacebuilding into regional stabilization processes.

Key Activities and Components
Nature-Based Solutions & Ecosystem Restoration

Restoring 10,000 hectares of wetlands and agropastoral areas.
Promoting climate-smart agriculture and NbS-linked livelihood promotion.
Training of 1,500 government and regional-level officials in NbS, resources mobilization, climate adaptation, and biodiversity preservation/monitoring.

Gender Equality & Social Inclusion

Increasing women and youth participation in conservation and governance.
Improving equitable access to natural resources, including land.
Engaging men and boys as allies in gender-responsive climate action.

Expanding gender-transformative initiatives that improve equity in decision-making, resource access, and leadership at both household and community levels.

Income-Generating Activities (IGAs)

Supporting women-led and youth-led IGAs linked to NbS (agroforestry, sustainable fisheries, seed production, restoration services).
Providing microgrants to community associations, cooperatives and small-scale producers.
Offering coaching in green entrepreneurship, market development, and sustainable value chains.
Promoting climate-resilient IGAs that support conservation and household income.

Community Governance & Environmental Peacebuilding

Strengthening local and transboundary governance structures.

Facilitating dialogue on natural resource use and developing natural resource management strategies at the community level.

Providing technical assistance and training on environmental peacebuilding and monitoring and evaluation of stabilisation efforts

Zones of Intervention (Ramsar Wetlands Sites)
Chad

Lac Fitri
Logone Floodplains & Toupouri Depressions
Bahr Aouk & Salamat Floodplains

Cameroon

Waza Logone Floodplains

Niger

Lac de Guidimouni
Mare de Lasouri

Expected Achievements and Impact
The project aims to strengthen the climate resilience of ecosystems and marginalized communities, particularly women and youth, across the Lake Chad Basin through NbS.
Its expected quantitative results are listed below:

10,000 hectares of wetland/agropastoral areas restored.
1,500 government and LCBC officials trained (30% women).
3,000 Gender Model Families sensitized and trained.
315,000 direct beneficiaries, including 75% women.
Over 2 million people benefiting from improved ecosystem services.
2.7 million displaced persons indirectly benefiting from environmental peacebuilding integration.

Key Achievements

NB: As of October 2025
Restauration

Mapping and public dissemination of ecological and socio-economic restoration sites completed, enabling coordinated planning and action among stakeholders.
Tree-planting missions conducted in degraded forest, wetland, and agro-pastoral landscapes, with strong community participation.
Labour-Intensive (HIMO) approach introduced to restore degraded wetlands and agro-pastoral lands, creating local green jobs and promoting inclusive restoration work.
Restoration tools, equipment, plants, and seeds provided to local communities.
Training of hundreds of community members in seed collection, nursery establishment, tree-planting, restoration techniques delivered
Workshops on NbS financing offered to national government and regional officials.
Multinational workshops on biodiversity monitoring systems, involving specialists from Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and partner countries, hosted.
Coordination missions with technical services in forestry, agriculture, and environmental management implemented to strengthen institutional collaboration.

Income-Generating Activities:

31 micro-grants (value of 4 million CFA each) offered to support innovative IGAs in wetlands, climate-smart agriculture, agro-pastoral production, and women-led green enterprises.
Capacity-building missions conducted to strengthen micro-grant recipient groups in management, financial literacy, and sustainability.
Women’s groups knowledge and network empowered thought their participation in national platforms exhibitions and forums.
Training delivered on (micro)business development and management to community groups, associations and cooperatives.
Women and youth integrated into field-based activities, including restoration work, nursery development, and IGA expansion.

Gender Equality:

Development of the first National Action Plan for Women’s Land Rights in Chad, a landmark policy achievement integrating gender equality into land governance and national restoration priorities, and a Regional Action Plans on Women’s Land Rights also developed and adopted in Cameroon, strengthening regional alignment and multi-country commitment to gender-responsive land governance.
Rollout of the GMF approach with civil society partners, including mentor training, community sensitization, and development of household-level gender action plans.
Strengthened gender-responsive programming, with women and youth increasingly participating in natural-resource governance, restoration committees, and community dialogues.
Introduction and expansion of the masculine leaders’ approach, engaging influential men and male youth as allies in gender equality, supporting household transformation, and promoting positive masculinities in restoration, land governance, and family well-being.

Environmental Peacebuilding

Community dialogues held to identify current issues and potential solutions.
Existing community-based natural resource management structures strengthened.
Development of Natural Resources Management Strategies initiated at the community-level.
Community radio journalists trained to deliver conflict-sensitive messaging on climate, land, and natural resources.
Joint restoration activities (tree planting, wetland rehabilitation, HIMO) reduced tensions between farmers, pastoralists, fishers, and youth by creating shared community workspaces.

Success stories:
Here are a few examples of how PCBLT is transforming lives across the Lake Chad Basin:

Income Generating Activities (IGA)
Ms. Charlotte Inna
Member, SCOOPS DINGUI ZI FALAKAÏ Cooperative
Maga, Chad

This story highlights how integrated agro-fisheries, women’s leadership, and circular agriculture are strengthening livelihoods, food security, and climate resilience in Maga.

“Before the project, fish farming in Maga was done in a very basic way and depended entirely on the river. With the support of the Lake Chad Basin Conservation Project, the group installed above-ground fish tanks, making production easier and more reliable. Today, the water from the fish tanks is reused to irrigate vegetable gardens, enriching the soil naturally and reducing waste. Managed entirely by women, this circular system now allows them to produce both fish and vegetables year-round — even during the biological rest period when fishing is prohibited. As a result, incomes are increasing, and the community is no longer fully dependent on the river.”

Gender
Mr. Mahamadou Ousseini
Participant in the Gender Model Family training
Lassouri, Zinder Region – Niger

Before participating in the Gender Model Family training under the Lake Chad Basin Conservation Project, Mahamadou and his wife followed traditional gender roles where all domestic work fell on his wife while he worked in the fields. Through the training, Mahamadou realized how heavy her daily workload truly was. After the training, he made a commitment to change. He now helps fetch water, supports childcare, and takes the children to school. Despite concerns about community pressure, he remains determine. Mahamadou’s journey reflects how positive masculinities and shared responsibilities can transform family life and inspire change within the wider community.

“For me, family comes first. If I can help my wife in her many tasks, I will do it — no matter what people think.”

Environmental Peacebuilding
Mr. Yves Phono Kepin
Journalist, Radio Terre Nouvelle
Chad

As part of the Lake Chad Basin Conservation Project’s environmental peacebuilding component, Mr. Yves Phono Kepin took part in a specialized training for community radio journalists on climate change and environmental peace. In a context marked by climate variability, resource competition, and recurring community conflicts, the training strengthened his ability to raise awareness through radio programming on peaceful and inclusive natural resource management. Today, through radio broadcasts, community dialogues, and awareness campaigns, he is actively contributing to promoting environmental peace and reducing conflicts linked to natural resource use.

“This training helped me better understand environmental peace. The knowledge we gained will allow us to sensitize our communities on climate change, peaceful resource management, and social cohesion,” he shared.

Partnerships and Stakeholders
Canadian Partners

CERFO– Expertise in remote sensing, GIS, forest management, and monitoring.
CIER– Expertise in traditional, local, and Indigenous knowledge systems supporting inclusive stewardship.
UNAC– Leads youth empowerment initiatives, especially for young women and girls.

African Partners

CPHDA- A regional rights-based organization from Africa that leads peacebuilding, community mobilization, and inclusive natural-resource governance across fragile and displacement-affected areas of the Lake Chad Basin.
OSLT- A Chad-based NGO recognized for its strong proximity to communities, deep local knowledge, and its ability to deliver climate, gender, and peacebuilding interventions in fragile and hard-to-reach areas of the Lake Chad Basin.
ACEEN – A Cameroonian NGO that works with both resident and transhumant communities to promote environmental protection, sustainable natural-resource management, and peaceful socio-economic development in the Far North region of Cameroon and the wider Lake Chad Basin.
Agir Plus 21- A Niger-based NGO working across seven regions to strengthen governance, education, youth empowerment, food security, health, and protection through rights-based and community-driven development approaches.

Challenges and Lessons Learned

Security constraints requiring adaptive planning.
Climate variability disrupting restoration efforts.
Persistent gender norms needing sustained engagement.
Institutional capacity strengthening essential for sustainability.

Way Forward

Scale up and accelerate NbS across wetlands and degraded landscapes, supported by stronger ecological monitoring and regional data-sharing systems.
Strengthen gender-responsive climate leadership, with a focus on empowering women and youth as decision-makers in conservation, land governance, and peacebuilding processes along with male allies.
Expand climate-resilient IGAs and green entrepreneurship, linking community enterprises to NbS value chains, markets, and sustainable financing mechanisms.
Reinforce inclusive community governance structures to support the co-management of wetlands, natural resources, and transboundary landscapes.
Deepen technical collaboration and knowledge exchange with CERFO, CIER, UNAC, CPHDA, and regional learning networks to scale proven approaches and innovations.
Advance long-term conservation planning through wetland management plans, community conservation agreements, and strengthened alignment with national and regional policies.

For more information, resources, or partnership opportunities, visit:
🌐 https://pcblt.alineainternational.com/
