Speaker
Description
Ngamdu, M. B.
YOBE STATE UNIVERSITY DAMATURU
mbngamdu@gmail.com
Track: Sustainability and the Future
By
Mohammed Bukar Ngamdu Ph.D
Department of Geography and Environmental Management
Yobe State University
P M B 1144 Damaturu
Yobe State Nigeria.
mbngamdu@gmail.com
+2348037765917
Abstract
The Lake Chad Basin (LCB) is a fragile socio-ecological region where climate variability, environmental degradation, and insecurity interact in complex and reinforcing ways. This study systematically reviews empirical literature on the relationships between hydro-climatic variability, resource dynamics, and conflict pathways within the basin. Drawing from peer-reviewed articles, institutional reports, hydrological assessments, remote sensing studies, and socio-economic research, the paper synthesizes evidence on how environmental change affects livelihoods and contributes to insecurity. Findings indicate that the basin has experienced significant hydro-climatic variability characterized by irregular rainfall, prolonged droughts, flooding, and persistent lake shrinkage. These changes have reduced the availability and reliability of essential natural resources such as water, grazing land, and arable farmland. As a result, competition among resource-dependent communities, especially farmers and pastoralists, has intensified. The review further reveals that environmental stress interacts with poverty, population growth, weak governance, and socio-economic vulnerabilities to heighten insecurity, including insurgency-related violence. Although communities have adopted coping strategies such as migration, livelihood diversification, and informal conflict resolution, these measures are increasingly constrained by demographic and institutional pressures. The study concludes that climate variability primarily acts as a risk multiplier, exacerbating existing structural vulnerabilities and conflict dynamics in the Lake Chad Basin.
Keywords: climate; variability; Lake Chad Basin; conflict; insecurity.