Decades ago, dams and diversions were built on the Komadugu Yobe River that flows through Nigeria’s arid northeast before draining into the shrinking Lake Chad. Flow in the river has fallen by 35% and eroded the livelihoods of millions because of the combined effects of abstraction of water for large-scale irrigation and regional drying of the climate. Stresses like these in an impoverished and ethnically splintered region have led to resource scarcity and social tensions.
Water Charter
Thanks to a joint basin level intervention by IUCN and partner organizations, the federal and state governments and other stakeholders, including dam operators and farming, fishing, and herding communities, came together to negotiate a plan for coordinating and investing in restoration and management of the basin. In addition to agreeing to a Catchment Management Plan, a ‘Water Charter’ was drafted that spells out the principles for sustainable development of the basin and the roles and responsibilities of governments and stakeholders.
An Enabling Effect
Reform of water governance is enabling transparent coordination of water resource development, including remediation of degraded ecosystems and, eventually, restoration of the river’s flow regime. Dialogue and investment in natural infrastructure have provided people with more than the assets needed to make their livelihoods more resilient to future uncertainty related to climate change.
Forward Thinking and Planning
Widespread vulnerabilities to the impacts of climate change on water make implementation of sustainable water management and empowerment of stakeholders in water governance high priorities for adaptation. Planning for adaptation cannot rely solely on conventionally engineered infrastructure, but should incorporate restoration and management of the natural infrastructure provided by ecosystems.