Equitable Water Research Articles

Multi-objective optimization of water resources allocation in rift valley lakes basin (Ethiopia): tradeoffs between efficiency and equity

The Rift Valley Lakes Basin (RVLB) in Ethiopia faces significant challenges in water resource management due to competing demands from economic development, social equity, and environmental sustainability. Rapid population growth, agricultural expansion, industrial activities, and urbanization exert increasing pressure on the region’s limited water resources. Current water allocation practices often prioritize short-term economic gains, leading to over-extraction and inefficient water use, exacerbating social inequities and environmental degradation. This study introduces a multi-objective optimization framework using the Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) to balance economic efficiency, equity, and environmental sustainability in water allocation. Environmental sustainability goals are expressed in terms of preservation of biodiversity, protection of ecosystem services, avoidance of environmental degradation, mitigation of climate change impacts and sustainable water use. The study area, RVLB, is characterized by diverse hydrological and hydrogeological settings, with significant variations in temperature, rainfall, and evapotranspiration. The optimization model aims to achieve maximum economic benefit efficiency and minimize the Gini coefficient to ensure equitable water distribution. The results indicate a trade-off between economic return and equity, highlighting the need for decision-makers to balance these objectives based on public demands and preferences. The study concludes that the optimal Pareto front strategy can effectively manage the conflict between economic efficiency and equity, providing a comprehensive water allocation scheme for the RVLB.

Invisible Threads: Emerging Water Governance in the Multi‐Actor Dynamics of the Mira‐Mataje Transboundary River Basin

ABSTRACTIn recent years, scholarly interest has surged in exploring the emergence of new governance regimes that redefine the self‐governing capacities of local communities in water management, navigating security challenges to ensure compliance to central government water laws and regulations. Embracing polycentric governance across various levels of political interaction provides insights into the factors driving the establishment of these regimes, particularly in regions with limited state presence, and where the threat of climate impact has become visible by climate extreme events as drought. This approach emphasizes the importance of decentralized, collaborative systems for effectively and sustainably managing water resources. Such systems promote equitable water use, regional stability, and resilience to drought through innovative, community‐driven solutions aimed at addressing water scarcity challenges. While the former, polycentric governance, involves multiple centers of authority making decisions collaboratively, the latter, decentralized governance, refers to communities independently managing their affairs. To understand evidence related to these dynamics, we focus on actors' interactions around the downstream area of the transboundary Mira River Basin, between Ecuador and Colombia. Employing mixed method approaches such as qualitative interviews, policy analysis, and participatory observation provides comprehensive insights into the complex interactions shaping transboundary water governance and community responses. These methods facilitate a thorough understanding of how institutional arrangements and governance structures evolve and adapt in diverse sociopolitical contexts, offering valuable lessons for sustainable water management strategies on (local) scale or on (cross‐border) collaboration. This is particularly crucial in addressing the challenges posed by drought scenarios, ensuring resilience and adaptability in water governance worldwide.

Rule Curve of Meninting Reservoir in West Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara

Meninting Reservoir in West Lombok Regency is essential for addressing uneven water distribution on Lombok Island. It reallocates water from the Sesaot, Penimbung, and Ketapang Irrigation Areas, covering 1,490 hectares, and supplies 150 liters/second of raw water while generating 2×0.4 MW of electricity. To ensure equitable water distribution, an optimal rule curve is needed. This study analyzes water demand and availability using the continuity equation. Water availability was assessed based on discharge data from the Orong Atas AWLR station, while demand was evaluated under various scenarios, including different planting schedules and Micro Hydro Power Plant (MHP) integration. Results show that irrigation demand ranges from 1,082,648.92 m³ to 1,496,415.21 m³ per half-month period, while raw water and MHP demands are 197,100 m³ and 2,857,950 m³, respectively. The optimal rule curve is achieved with the October II planting schedule without MHP, ensuring 100% reliability. However, with MHP, the best rule curve occurs under the November I schedule, reducing reliability to 54.2% and increasing failure risk to 45.8% in dry years. These findings emphasize the need for strategic planting schedules and reservoir management to balance irrigation, raw water supply, and hydropower generation. The study provides a scientific basis for optimizing reservoir operations to ensure sustainable water use in West Lombok Regency.

Harvesting Underdevelopment: Exploring the Water–Food Nexus in Brazilian Municipalities

Efforts to promote human development through agriculture highlight issues that require balanced approaches, considering socio-environmental factors, including equitable water allocation in regions with significant inequalities. This study aims to assess human development disparities across Brazilian regions, particularly in municipalities with high water consumption for irrigation in agriculture and livestock watering. Using public data from 2007 and 2016, a total of 300 municipalities were selected each year for analysis based on water use types. The study compared groups using the Firjan Index of Municipal Development (FIMD) as a measure of human development, employing the Kruskal–Wallis test with a 95% confidence level. We found statistically significant differences in FIMD distribution across all of the groups studied. We also verified that a set of municipalities in the Southeast did not experience significant advancements in development between 2007 and 2016, despite having high water allocations for livestock watering. Additionally, intense water use for irrigation was insufficient to elevate less advantaged regions, such as the Northeast, where half of the municipalities were classified with moderately low values in both years. The challenges in this water–food nexus study highlight the need for more integrated policies to ensure greater justice in human development and in the distribution of natural resource exploitation for agribusiness income.

Water insecurity is human: why social science must be at the core of water security research and practice

Many water scholars believe we are at an inflection point in which new approaches to water research and management are needed, and I agree. Water insecurity is fundamentally driven by human behavior and is socially determined. To address this, the emerging science of water security can build on well-established and theoretically-robust findings from social science. Foundational work establishes the formative role of human social structures in producing water insecurity, particularly for populations experiencing poverty, racial/ethnic minoritization, and political exclusion. While infrastructural and legal/regulatory reforms are essential to advance water security, they have failed vulnerable populations in patterned, predictable ways globally. New research highlights how social and engineered infrastructures that are hybrid, modular, adaptive, and decentralized can improve water security for the most vulnerable populations. However, reliance on such systems is inherently a feature of unjust, inequitable water governance. Social scientists have a valuable role to play in explaining these dynamics, addressing water system failures, and developing more equitable water solutions.

A System Dynamics Model to Optimize Purified Water Supply from the Dam for Residences Use in Rural Communities

The effective management of water supply is important to ensure sustainable health and wellbeing of residents in communities. This paper presents a system dynamics model to optimize the delivery of clean water from dams to communities more especially in rural areas. The developed model includes elements such as water inflow, purification processes, storage capacities, distribution channels as well as consumption patterns. The dynamics of water supply is influenced by various factors such as seasonal fluctuations or variations, maintenance schedules, as well as population growth. The developed model employs feedback loops to simulate the interactions between these components and identify potential inefficiencies in the system. This study aims to suggest and develop strategies to enhance the reliability and efficiency of water supply to the targeted areas. Different scenarios are analysed to evaluate the impact of management and administrative practices, such as adjusting purification capacity, optimizing storage levels, as well as improving distribution methods. The objective of the study is to provide insights for policy makers and stakeholders to ensure sustainable and equitable water supply for rural communities. The results of the study demonstrate that system dynamics modelling can effectively identify key areas of improvement in the water supply chain and better service delivery. This approach presents a comprehensive framework for addressing the complex challenges associated with rural water supply systems and support informed decision making in water resource management.

Beyond the watery grave: death and water reminders as (un)expected ways to increase environmental identity / Más allá de la tumba acuática: recordatorios de muerte y agua como formas (in)esperadas para fomentar la identidad ambiental

Climate change increasingly stresses global water availability and reliability via either too much (e.g., floods) or too little (e.g., droughts). To ensure safe and equitable water access and management, significant behaviour changes are needed among both water consumers and decision-makers. Yet discussing water vulnerabilities can be existentially threatening because these water crises involve considering potential physical harm or death from a life-sustaining resource. According to Terror Management Theory (TMT), implicit or explicit awareness of existential threats may result in contradictory identity reinforcements that may actually limit positive water solutions. We examined how three life-threatening water messages — specifically drowning, contaminated water consumption, dehydration — influenced environmental identity compared to a standard mortality threat and a control among 455 Canadian and American adults. Our results indicated that existentially threatening messages significantly increased environmental identity polarization ( p < .05). Given these findings, we discuss implications for sustainable water management within an increasingly threatening global environment.

Water footprint and virtual water trade of apples: Insights from India

India is a prominent producer and exporter of apples globally. However, apple cultivation requires significant water resources, and the water foot- print associated with apple production and trade in India has not been thor- oughly quantified. This study quantified the water footprint associated with apple production in India from 2000 to 2023, as well as the virtual water trade between 2018 and 2023. State-wise data on Indian apple production was collected and analyzed to assess the domestic water footprint, while trade data was compiled to estimate the virtual water flow associated with apple imports and exports. The results showed that the water footprint of Indian apple production averaged 2,430 million cubic meters (Mm3 ) annual- ly. This substantial footprint was primarily composed of green water (69.9%), along with blue water (23.9%) and grey water (6.2%). In terms of virtual water trade, India was a net importer with 27.8 Mm3 of virtual water embodied in apple imports from major exporters such as Turkey, Iran and Italy. This analysis underscores the considerable water footprint of Indian apple production and the nation's significant net inflow of virtual water re- sources through the apple trade. Additionally, the study highlights the im- portance of considering virtual water flow in agricultural trade policies to achieve sustainable and equitable water resource management.

Examining Water Efficiency Measures for Three- to Five-Star Graded Game Lodges and for Residential Beneficiation in Hammanskraal, South Africa

Globally, water scarcity has been a concern for the tourism and hospitality sectors, which are significant water consumers. Conflict between lodges and residents can also arise from differing priorities, competition, limited access, and inadequate infrastructure. There are limited studies addressing water governance challenges and equitable water access while balancing conservation, tourism, and local needs. In the arid regions of water-scarce South Africa, particularly in areas hosting game lodges essential to tourism, effective water management is vital in societal terms. In this context, the present study aimed to address these issues by investigating water efficiency measures adopted in game lodges and exploring sustainable solutions for equitable water access for neighboring residents. Effective water governance is essential for balancing conservation efforts, fulfilling guest expectations, and meeting the needs of local communities. Through semistructured techniques, this study explored the adoption of water efficiency measures by residents in Hammanskraal and the neighboring three-to five-star graded game lodges around Dinokeng Game Reserve, South Africa. The challenges that game lodges face is outlined, such as deficient government policy enforcement and insufficient stakeholder collaboration, which hinder the mandatory adoption of water efficiency measures. This suggests the need for stronger regulatory frameworks and better coordination among stakeholders in ensuring the success of game lodges in water management. The specific strategies and technologies employed by residents and lodges to conserve water and manage their resources sustainably were identified. Findings further illuminate the intricate relationship between game lodges, residents, and water resource management, emphasizing the need for harmonious coexistence to prevent social tensions. Additionally, the study exposed gaps in policy, corruption, and inadequate infrastructure, which have led to suboptimal water governance in the Hammanskraal region. Municipal lapses and inadequate monitoring contribute to water management issues, negatively affecting residents. The key knowledge contributions highlighted by the study include the importance of engaging local communities in water governance for more effective and resilient water management practices.

Performance evaluation of irrigation outlets with physical model study in Indus basin irrigation system of Pakistan.

The efficiency of water distribution at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels in the Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS) has historically suffered due to poor design, suboptimal operation, and water scarcity. To address these issues, the system has been designed with ungated irrigation outlets to ensure equitable water allocation at secondary and tertiary levels. This research evaluates the hydraulic performance of three irrigation outlets: adjustable proportional module (APM), adjustable orifice semi-module (AOSM), and open flume (OF) using a physical model study. A distributary channel model with these outlets was constructed at the Centre of Excellence in Water Resources Engineering, where discharge coefficients (Cd) were calibrated and measured under various hydraulic and geometric conditions, including free and submerged flow conditions, and with adjustments to flow depths and outlet settings. The results showed variability in Cd values under free flow and submerged flow conditions with APM and AOSM ranging from 6.07 to 8.20 and 0.56 to 0.74, respectively, and OF between 2.46 and 4.31. Additionally, the behavior of outlet tampering on Cd values was also assessed under three scenarios: tampering with the half wing wall (1st), tampering with the full wing wall (2nd), and lowering the bed level downstream of the outlet (3rd). The increase in Cd values for APM and AOSM was + 10.84% and + 14.49% under 1st scenario, + 17.12% and + 22.36% under 2nd scenario, and + 24.25% and + 26.30% under 3rd scenario, respectively. The results reveal that even minor tampering with outlet structures can lead to significant deviations in performance, highlighting the importance of maintaining stringent control over outlet configurations to ensure equitable and efficient water distribution. There is a critical need for rigorous, site-specific calibration of irrigation outlets to optimize their performance under local conditions and redesigning outlet structures to minimize the impacts of tampering, thereby enhancing the overall sustainability of water use in large-scale irrigation systems. The findings from this study provide essential insights for irrigation engineers and policymakers tasked with upgrading and maintaining irrigation infrastructure. By adopting a more customized approach to outlet design and management, it is possible to significantly improve water use efficiency and achieve more sustainable irrigation practices.

Analysis of Existing Area, Clean Water Treatment, and Distribution Network Evaluation in Nagari Magek, Agam Regency, West Sumatra

Nagari Magek Village in Agam Regency, West Sumatra, faces significant challenges in managing clean water resources. To address these challenges comprehensively, a holistic approach is essential, involving through area analysis, water treatment, and evaluation of distribution networks to ensure efficient and equitable water distribution. It is crucial to adhere to the principles of water resource conservation, utilization, and management as stipulated in Law Number 17 of 2019 on water resource management, which must be observed to ensure legal clarity in water management practices. The community service team handles clean water problems in Nagari Magek by designing a clean water treatment system that includes aeration, sedimentation, and filtration units. This process improves water quality by reducing yellowish color and eliminating unpleasant odors. However, the capacity of the treatment plant is not able to meet the increasing water demand, while the galvanized pipe distribution network has not been functioning optimally. Based on simulations using EPANET 2.2 software, it was found that the water flow speed in the pipes was still below the optimal range due to the diameter of the pipes being too large. The solution applied was to increase the processing discharge to 10 L/s (0,01 m3/s), which succeeded in increasing the flow rate according to the regulatory criteria. This recommendation improves the efficiency of the distribution system and ensures better water quality for the people in Nagari Magek.

Assessment of water quality in the piped water supply system by using Water Quality index method

Background Drinking water of the right and approved quality is a basic requirement for the development of any civilization. According to SDG 6 it is crucial to provide every citizen with equitable water quality and quantity. Methods The study area is the smart city of Bhubaneswar with 67 wards and three zones: the north zone, south-west zone, and south-east zone with around 12.4 lakh population. To maintain the water quality in the supply pipeline in this city, which is always assumed to be safe, it needs to be examined within certain time intervals to check the contamination. In this context, studies on water quality parameters in the supply pipeline network from different anticipated vulnerable areas have been collected for testing. In this context, water samples were collected from areas near industries, market complexes, educational institutions, and construction sites of each ward of Bhubaneswar. Nearly 10 water quality parameters were tested and analyzed using the weighted arithmetic water quality index method. This method takes input of all the parameters and provides the overall water quality index value, which classifies the water in different grades like excellent, good, poor, and very poor quality. Results According to the WHO (2011) guidelines, the study found that there is a deviation in the parameters like 10.78% in pH, 19.48% in dissolved oxygen, 43.88% in conductivity, and 22.95% in hardness from the standard limit, but the overall water quality index indicates the water is not in the poor and very poor range. Also, water quality index values identify that the water in the south-east zone is excellent compared to the north and south-west zones. The reason for the slight deterioration is due to the underground cable works, road works and also some areas where the old pipeline system is still existing due to personal encroachment of people as per Public health Engineering department.

Water tariffs and social equity: Towards water service connections and pricing instruments for the poor

AbstractAside from operational sustainability and efficiency goals, water tariffs also need to address the requirements of affordability and equity, in most instances, by providing subsidies to poor households. Yet, poor households are unable to enjoy the benefits of such cross‐subsidization and linked conveniences as they are unable to get water service connections. Even with a well‐designed water tariff, the inability of poor households to get piped connections results in the payment of premiums for water that is difficult to access and, at times, of questionable quality. In this paper, we assess the pro‐poor projects of three Philippine municipal water systems and suggest that providing water service connections to poor households allows these households to avoid paying the water poverty premium, as well as experience the related public health and quality of life benefits accruing from such connections. We argue that designing the best tariff for existing socio‐economic, political, and environmental realities must go hand in hand with programs that provide water service connections to poor households as this will ensure not only operational viability but also equitable water provision.

International water conventions, the exploitation of trans-boundary rivers and the Nile water dispute among Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt

Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt entered into dispute since Ethiopia began the construction of the Renaissance Dam along the Blue Nile in 2011. This article is aimed at assessing the core facts about water conventions, the use of trans-boundary rivers and the main argument points of Egypt and Sudan against Ethiopia's use right of the Nile. Data were obtained from conventions and laws, study reports and television interviews. Percent and ratios were used for quantifying data. The 1997 UN Water Convention, having seven criterions for equitable water use by riparian nations, is a better platform for the negotiation on the Nile water. Ethiopia contributes 86.52 billion m3 to the Nile water although Egypt's contribution is negligible. Despite the built-up of 3 huge dams by Egypt and over 10 by Sudan, these countries aggressively contest the Renaissance Dam of Ethiopia. Egypt diverts about 46 billion m3 water for irrigation. Turk, an upstream nation (alike Ethiopia in the Nile basin), built 11 dams along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers with rare contest from the downstream nations. The existence of ‘adequate rainfall’ and ‘other rivers’ in Ethiopia, the colonial treaties, the Nile as the only resource, and the impact of the Renaissance Dam are among the main points of argument of Egypt and Sudan against Ethiopia's use right of the Nile. The Nile water use by Ethiopia is inevitable as 73.7 % of the rivers' flow, 65.3 % of the hydropower and 50.6 % of the irrigation potential of all Ethiopian rivers is in the Nile basin; besides, significant share of the population has no electric service (>60), no pure water access (42.7 %) and is below poverty line (29.6 %). Thus, the three countries need to be flexible for the ‘give and take’ principle-based negotiation and ensuring the equitable use of the Nile water.

Making a case for power-sensitive water modelling: a literature review

Abstract. Models are widely used to research hydrological change and risk. However, the power embedded in the modelling process and outcomes is often concealed by claiming their neutrality. Our review shows that in the scientific literature relatively little attention is given to the influence of models on development processes and outcomes in water governance. At the same time, an emerging body of work offering critical insights into the political implications of hydrological models and a nuanced understanding of their application in context has begun to flourish. Drawing on this work, we call for power-sensitive modelling which includes the following considerations: take a holistic approach to modelling beyond programming and coding; foster accountability; work towards just and equitable water distributions; be transparent about the expectations and choices made; and democratise modelling by giving space to and being mindful of representations of multiple bodies of knowledge and multiple stakeholders and by incorporating marginalised people and nature into the modelling process. Our call should not be understood as a suggestion to do away with modelling altogether, but rather as an invitation to interrogate how quantitative models may help to foster transformative pathways towards more just and equitable water distributions.

Managing climate risks: new evidence from integrated analysis at the basin scale

ABSTRACT Safe, reliable, and equitable water access is critical for healthy livelihoods. Climate change-related water stress is challenging, and using the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) nexus is an appealing approach for sustainable management. The contribution of this paper is formulating a comprehensive framework integrating water sectors and ecosystems. The paper fills previous gaps in the literature by taking Spain’s Ebro Basin as a case study for evidence to guide science-based policies. Results deliver a framework for measuring the distribution of benefits and costs among sectors and stakeholders. Findings reveal choices that increase stream flows, enhance water security and biodiversity, and reduce climate risks.

Water and socioeconomic inequalities: spatial analysis of water consumption in Brazil

ABSTRACT To achieve equitable water access, it is necessary to understand and quantify the heterogeneity of water consumption. Thus, this study assessed the spatial dependence of water consumption for Brazil and an urban center. Two spatial autocorrelation tests were applied: the Global Moran’s Index (I) and the Local Indicator of Spatial Association (LISA). It was found that, both at the national and municipal scales, water consumption is not uniformly distributed in space, indicating the formation of clusters of regions with High-High, High-Low, Low-High, and Low-Low aggregation patterns. In this way, water and socioeconomic inequalities in Brazil are highlighted, emphasizing the gap between the Center-South and the North-Northeast regions. Additionally, water and socioeconomic disparities within the city of Fortaleza are also observed, resulting from its urbanization process. Finally, the spatial autocorrelation between water consumption and per capita income is strongly evident at both the national and municipal levels.

Design principles for a blockchain-based multi-sided platform for the sustainable trade of water: An affordance approach

Water scarcity has become a critical challenge affecting the well-being of many communities worldwide and has been incorporated as one of the focal points within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6). Digital technologies, such as blockchain technology, have shown promising potential to help tackle this issue through smart distribution of water abundancies to water-scarce regions. This research employs affordance theory and affordance-based design (ABD) to investigate the design of blockchain or distributed ledger technology (DLT) to tackle challenges related to water scarcity. Using design science research (DSR), this paper proposes design principles (DP) for a blockchain-based multi-sided platform (MSP) for the smart distribution and trade of water. To obtain our principles, we collaborated with a company employing a blockchain-based MSP for water trade. We identified the different elements of the DPs, including affordances and material properties, and matched these principles with meta-requirements obtained from the literature. This research aims to contribute to the scholarly debate by generating prescriptive knowledge in the form of DPs and providing tangible contributions that shed light on the optimal design of similar blockchain applications. These applications are envisioned to ensure their efficacy in addressing the pressing challenges of water scarcity and equitable water access, thereby fostering a sustainable and resilient future for everyone.

Water and Sanitation Practices and performance of Bomet Water and Sanitation Company in Bomet County, Kenya

Water and sanitation provision practices are established with the intention to enhance performance, provision on clean water and enhanced sanitation services. However, globally, not all Water & Sanitation Companies are able to achieve their core mandate of provision of adequate clean water and sanitation services. All Water and Sanitation Companies adopt water and sanitation practices however the extent to which they affect performance of water and sanitation companies is has attracted divergent views while other scholar found a negative affect others found a positive effect and hence a dilemma exist as to what is the exact effect of water and sanitation practices on the performance of water and sanitation companies. At Bomet Water and Sanitation Company in Bomet County, very few studies exist that have been conducted on the subject matter and yet its performance is not optimal and the hence the reason as to why this study was conducted at the Water and Sanitation Company. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of water and sanitation practices on performance of Bomet Water and Sanitation Company in Bomet County, Kenya. Specific objectives of the study were to establish how resources influences performance of Bomet Water and Sanitation Company, to find out the extent to which stakeholder engagement effects performance of Bomet Water and Sanitation Company, to determine the effects of governance on the performance of Bomet Water and Sanitation Company and to examine the influence of information communication technology on the performance of Bomet Water and Sanitation Company. Theories adopted were; Resource Based View Theory, Stakeholder Theory, Stewardship Theory, Systems Theory and Balance scorecard Theory. The study adopted a descriptive research design and targeted 170 respondents drawn from commercial, technical and administration department. The sample size was 34 staffs selected using stratified random sampling technique. A pilot study was conducted to test the effectiveness and reliability of the research tool. The study used both primary and secondary data sources. Data was analyzed using quantitative approach which involved the use of descriptive statistics that entailed percentages, frequency, mean and standard deviation. Inferential statistic adopted was regression analysis was used to establish existing relationships between water and sanitation provision practices and performance of Bomet Water and Sanitation Company. Results were as follows; resources had a positive and significant effect on performance of BOMWASCO of (β=-0.229, p < 0.05). Stakeholder engagement had a positive and significant effect on performance of BOMWASCO (β=0.231, p < 0.05). Governance had a positive and significant effect on performance of BOMWASCO (β=0.451, p < 0.05). ICT had a positive and significant effect on performance of BOMWASCO (β=0.343, p < 0.05). The study concluded that resources, stakeholder engagement, governance and ICT have a positive and significant effect on performance of BOMWASCO. The study recommended that physical resources should used sufficiently and correctly to enhance equitable water supply all residents. The community should continue to be engaged in all water supply and solid waste collection practices in the County. BOMWASCO board structure should effectively represent diverse stakeholder interests. Current software solutions should continue being used in a manner that effectively meets organizational needs and requirements. The study recommends further studies should be conducted on Water and sanitation practices and performance of other water and sanitation companies in Kenya.

Environmental Option and Remedy for Resuscitating Dying Lake Chad

Lake Chad, a vital freshwater reservoir in the Sahel region, faces a severe decline attributed to climate change, population growth, and unsustainable water practices. This study proposes a comprehensive transboundary water transfer initiative, sourcing freshwater from the water-rich regions of south-south, south-east, and south-west Nigeria to rejuvenate Lake Chad and its surrounding basins. This initiative employs a robust methodology comprising hydrological assessments of potential water sources, pipeline design, and construction informed by successful international case studies. Environmental impact assessments, stakeholder engagement, water quality management, and phased pilot project implementation ensure a holistic and sustainable approach. Lessons from projects like China's South-North Water Transfer and Australia's Snowy 2.0 provide insights into best practices for environmental stewardship and community involvement. Anticipated outcomes encompass the restoration of Lake Chad's water levels, revitalization of ecosystems, and socio-economic improvements in local communities. The multi-regional approach involving south-south, south-east, and south-west Nigeria seeks to enhance resilience against climate variability while fostering equitable water distribution and regional collaboration. Continuous monitoring, adaptive management, and knowledge sharing with global initiatives are emphasized to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of the project. This study proposes a novel and inclusive approach to address the challenges facing Lake Chad by leveraging freshwater resources from multiple regions in Nigeria. The outlined methodology prioritizes environmental sustainability, community engagement, and draws upon international successes, positioning this initiative as a model for transboundary water management in regions grappling with water scarcity.