“The [Transaqua] Project is expected to directly bring economic development to 7 African countries and, indirectly, benefits to 5 more countries associated with the Congo and Lake Chad basins……..The consequences of the drying up of Lake Chad and the loss of source of livelihood in the Sahel is affecting human security through southward migration and conflicts towards Central Africa and Congo, insecurity of lives and property in the Sahel, Lake Chad region and West Africa in general, as well as negating the stability of Central Africa in the long term.

So this is a gradual thing since 1973 ( when Lake Chad began drying up) those who have assets, those who have cattle, they have been moving away from the Sahel, they have been going toward the centre of Africa, that is where the grass is greener. They are trying to protect the assets, the little assets, that they have by moving southward. This migration is taking them to a new region where they meet people with different cultures, with different languages and this is what causes, the main cause of the problem in the Central African Republic.

So we have concluded that if we don`t revise the situation this southward migration in Africa will cause more problems in the regions that are already experiencing internal conflict. And also this loss of livelihood is causing the young in the Sahel region to move outward, to Europe.”

Mohammed Bila, Expert Modeler, Lake Chad Basin Commission.

a presentation given by Mohammed Bila on how the Transaqua Project will transform not only West and Central Africa but will create an entirely different future for the entire continent. The presentation was given at a conference held by the Schiller Institute in 2018 entitled

Panel II: How the Belt and Road Initiative Is Changing Africa

Source: Schiller Institute