[next page: Solar Option Alternative]
Lake Chad Hydrology
Lake Chad is a shallow, endorheic (no outlet, landlocked) lake in the Sahel. Historically it has fluctuated with variable flows mainly from the Chari River, fed by rains in the Central African Republic. However, in the last fifty years, drought and climate change have reduced this vast, fresh water ecosystem by more than 90%. The goal is to restore and stabilize the Lake Chad ecosystem, to provide water and food security for millions of people in the Lake Chad Basin.
Lake Chad in 1967 and now dry and barren.
[Image of dry lake at Bol, Chad from Cédric Faimali]
Lake Chad shrinkage over time (Lake Chad Basin Commission)
Proposed Hydroelectric Dam on the Ubangi River
A 2011 Feasibility Study by CIMA+ International proposed a 360 MW hydroelectric dam on the Ubangi River to pump water to Lake Chad. The Palambo Dam would flood 200 km of the river valley, displacing villages and people — and disrupting fishing and navigation. The estimated cost of the dam was $2.7 billion (2011 dollars).
Map of Ubangi River Drainage Basin – Showing Flooding from the Hydroelectric Dam