Africa is pouring in $50 billion to redirect water from Congo River Basin to Lake Chad which has shrunk by 90% since 1960

Lake Chad has shrunk by 90% since 1960, threatening water and livelihoods for 50 million people in Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria.

The Transaqua project proposes redirecting water from the Congo River Basin to Lake Chad at a cost of $50 billion.

Climate change—rising temperatures, droughts, and changing rainfall—combined with population growth and irrigation demand drove the lake's shrinkage.

In May 2026, the African Development Bank, Lake Chad Basin Commission, and five member states launched the $10 million PARFEBALT program to restore the lake's ecological and economic functions.