Transferring Water from the Congo River Basin to Lake Chad

The waters of the river basin are coveted by a number of neighboring countries with water deficits, such as the drying-up of Lake Chad, the result of a combination of factors: global warming, uncontrolled irrigation, the construction of several dams on the main watercourses that feed the lake, and galloping population growth in the area. A number of projects are therefore being devised to draw water from the Congo River basin to keep the Chad River afloat. However, there are a number of prerequisites that need to be taken into account, notably environmental, legal and financial. In addition, several Congolese experts indicate that the ideal location would be at the mouth of the Congo River in the Atlantic Ocean.