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VideoDecember 2, 2015

Lake Chad: Preserving a Precious Resource in the Sahel

Over the past 50 years, the surface area of Lake Chad has experienced significant climate, hydrological, ecological, and social changes. Throughout the last century, fishers, farmers, and herders from different ethnic groups migrated to the lake’s shores to exploit its rich natural resources and to flee droughts, famine, and conflicts in other parts of the region. These changes have created both opportunities and threats. In the face of additional pressure that climate change exerts on the region’s fragile natural resources, there is an urgent need to identify sustainable management options that will meet the development needs of the local population.