Climate Security, Cross-Border Displacement, and Humanitarian Governance: Evaluating Institutional Resilience in the Lake Chad Basin

Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies | Vol. 11, No. 5, May 2020 | pp. 37–45

DOI: 10.46882/2020/GJPCS/110501

Article Type: Original Research Paper

Title: Climate Security, Cross-Border Displacement, and Humanitarian Governance: Evaluating Institutional Resilience in the Lake Chad Basin

Authors: Amina J. Diallo¹, Emmanuel N. Obi²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Bamako, Bamako, Mali; ²Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of Yaoundé II, Yaoundé, Cameroon

Abstract:
The convergence of accelerating ecological collapse and insurgent violence across the Lake Chad Basin has created a complex humanitarian crisis, testing regional refugee protection models. This paper explores the relationship between climate-induced environmental degradation, forced migration, and local resource competition along the Cameroon-Nigeria frontier up to 2020. Utilizing geographical environmental tracking metrics combined with household surveys among 680 displaced families, we analyze the capacity of regional humanitarian networks. The empirical data reveals that the shrinking surface area of Lake Chad has eliminated traditional agrarian livelihoods, driving a 62% increase in unplanned population movement toward urban perimeter zones. Our statistical models show that refugee settlements lacking coordinated water allocation frameworks experience a 45% higher incidence of inter-communal clashes between displaced groups and host populations over shared pasture land. The study highlights the failure of humanitarian programs that treat migration as a short-term emergency rather than a structural ecological change. We conclude that regional stability requires integrating long-term climate adaptation funding directly into border security architectures.

Keywords: Climate Security; Lake Chad Basin; Forced Displacement; Humanitarian Governance; Resource Scarcity; Community Conflict

Manuscript Timeline: Received: July 05, 2019; Revised: September 18, 2019; Accepted: December 02, 2019; Published: May 12, 2020

Citation: Diallo, A. J., & Obi, E. N. (2020). Climate Security, Cross-Border Displacement, and Humanitarian Governance: Evaluating Institutional Resilience in the Lake Chad Basin. Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 11(5), 37–45. DOI: 10.46882/2020/GJPCS/110501

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