Lake Chad Basin states launch a transboundary flood and drought warning project

28 October 2026

A five-country project on water management and early warning in the Lake Chad Basin was launched on 28 October 2026 at a workshop in N'Djamena. The Lake Chad Basin Commission leads it, working with the World Meteorological Organization and Global Water Partnership Central Africa, and it runs in Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria and the Central African Republic. Money comes from the Adaptation Fund, a grant of 11,665,500 US dollars spread over five years. Between 1970 and 2020 the basin went through more than 48 flood and drought disasters, which affected over 31 million people and killed nearly 4,000; more than 50 million people living there are exposed to such events. Direct benefit is expected for about 22.5 million people who have a radio or a mobile telephone. Four strands make up the work: better weather and river monitoring, forecasting products and a warning mechanism that crosses borders, awareness among decision makers, and stronger response in communities.