The disappearing lake: How Africa’s Lake Chad nearly vanished and the $50 billion engineering plan designed to restore it | World News
Lake Chad, once one of Africa’s largest inland water bodies, has lost around 90% of its surface area since the 1960s, leaving millions of people facing the loss of fishing, farming and livestock livelihoods. The decline has been linked to changing climate patterns, rising water demand and expanding irrigation. Now, a decades-old proposal known as Transaqua has brought fresh attention to the lake’s future. First introduced in 1982 by Italian engineers, the ambitious plan suggests building a 2,400-kilometre canal to transfer water from the Congo River basin to Lake Chad at a projected cost of billions of dollars. Supporters see it as a possible revival project, while critics warn of environmental and practical challenges.
How Africa’ s Lake Chad lost most of its waters
Lake Chad has undergone one of the most dramatic environmental changes in Africa. As reported by the BBC, since the middle of the 20th century, the lake has lost around 90% of its surface area, although the exact size has varied over time depending on rainfall patterns and seasonal changes.The decline has not come from a single cause. Rising demand for water, expanding irrigation projects, a growing population and shifting climate conditions have all placed pressure on the lake system. Rivers that once regularly fed its waters have become less reliable, while communities around the basin have continued to depend on the shrinking resource.The impact has been felt across a region where millions of people rely on farming, fishing and livestock. Areas that were once known for productive fields and busy fishing markets have become increasingly difficult places to make a living.Bale Bura, who grew up by the lake in the 1970s and now works for the Lake Chad Fishermen’s Association said, “We used to pass fields of maize on our way to the lake and there were vast numbers of boats bobbing up and down on the water back then, and huge fish markets”.
The 2,400-kilometre proposal that could reshape Lake Chad’s future
The proposal to revive Lake Chad through a massive water transfer project was first developed in the early 1980s by the Italian engineering company Bonifica Spa, as per the reports.Known as Transaqua, the plan would involve building a canal stretching roughly 2,400 kilometres from tributaries of the Congo River system towards the Chari River, the main water source feeding Lake Chad.The project was designed to redirect a portion of Congo basin water northwards while creating a network of dams that could generate electricity along the route. Engineers behind the proposal argued that the additional water could help restore the lake and create new opportunities for agriculture and infrastructure development.When the plans were circulated among African governments and international financial organisations in the 1980s, they received little response. The scale of the project, its cost and the political challenges involved meant the idea remained largely untouched for decades. For many years, Transaqua existed more as an engineering concept than a realistic proposal.
How Lake Chad’s decline fuelled a wider crisis
The shrinking lake has affected communities already struggling with poverty and limited opportunities. In many villages, young people have found fewer ways to earn a living as farming areas have declined and fishing has become harder.The environmental changes have also taken place alongside the rise of extremist groups in the region, including Boko Haram. The lake’s disappearance is not considered the sole cause of the conflict, but the loss of livelihoods has contributed to conditions where armed groups can find recruits among frustrated and vulnerable communities.Reportedly, during a visit to north-east Nigeria in 2014, the signs of neglect were visible around settlements near Lake Chad. Abandoned projects, damaged buildings and communities living with fear reflected years of instability. Residents spoke about the lack of jobs and opportunities available to young people. For some, leaving home or joining armed groups appeared to be among the few options.
A costly vision to reshape Africa’s water landscape
At a conference focused on Lake Chad’s future, governments and engineers returned to the Transaqua proposal as a possible long-term solution.The estimated cost is enormous, with figures reaching tens of billions of dollars, as reported by the BBC. A proposed funding effort aimed to support a wider Lake Chad recovery programme, while engineering companies were asked to examine whether the project could realistically be built.The Italian firm behind the concept worked alongside Chinese engineering expertise to assess the plan. Supporters argued that the amount of water transferred would represent only a small share of the Congo River’s total discharge and would not necessarily interfere with other major hydropower ambitions in the region.The proposed canal would be a major piece of infrastructure, potentially including roads and rail connections alongside the waterway. Supporters have suggested it could support agriculture, transport and industrial development along its route.Environmental groups have raised concerns about altering the Congo basin, one of the world’s most important river systems. Moving water between ecosystems on such a large scale could create consequences that are difficult to predict.
Searching for a future for the lake
The debate over Lake Chad reflects a wider challenge facing regions where climate pressures and human demand are colliding. Restoring the lake is not simply a question of moving water. It also involves managing existing resources, improving local economies and addressing the conditions that have made communities vulnerable.For people living around the basin, the changes are already part of daily life. Farmers have watched growing areas disappear, fishermen have travelled further to find catches, and communities have adapted to a landscape that no longer resembles the one remembered by older generations.Whether the Transaqua vision becomes a reality remains uncertain. The project represents one of the most ambitious attempts ever proposed to reshape a major African water system, but its future depends on funding, cooperation and careful assessment.For now, Lake Chad remains a symbol of both environmental loss and the difficult search for solutions on a changing continent.
