WATER CONFLICTS. CASE STUDY ̶ LAKE CHAD CONFLICT
WATER CONFLICTS. CASE STUDY ̶ LAKE CHAD CONFLICT

Summary/Abstract: This paper provides a short presentation of the Lake Chad water conflict and demonstrates the dependency between water scarcity and security. The conflict shows the consequences and effects of climate change and overpopulation; furthermore, it highlights the link between global warming and armed conflicts. Despite the fact that the conflict between Nigeria and Cameroon is over, there is no satisfactory solution to the root of the problem. The Lake Chad conflict is an extraordinarily complicated situation, because Lake Chad is a transnational lake. Its shares borders with Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad. The water shortage unleashed an armed conflict between Nigeria and Cameroon. Finally, the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivered a judgement in the dispute in 2002. Although interstate conflicts and disputes were solved with the assistance of an intergovernmental organization, the Lake Chad Basin Commission, intrastate problems are still unsolved and this is an important social and security related issue. As a result of the climate change and the lack of the international cooperation in the field of water resource management, more and more disputes and conflicts are expected to occur in Africa.

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