Description
The Lake Chad region has recently attracted the attention of the international community as a textbook example of a complex security emergency that is exacerbated by climate change: Despite President Buhari’s best efforts to combat Boko Haram, the Islamist insurgency continues to thrive in Nigeria’s northeast and across the border into Niger, Chad and Cameroon, capitalizing on existing systemic weaknesses and affecting the lives of over 10 million people. This paper investigates the relationship between climate change, the impact of government policies and Boko Haram's successful recruitment tactics in Lake Chad. It argues that climate change has already affected the living conditions for millions of people but that this situation has been exacerbated by an over-zealous government and military response to Boko Haram in the region. As a result, this has inadvertently created an opportunity for the terrorists to exploit, enabling them to capitalise on existing political frustration and dire economic conditions. As a result, the Boko Haram faction around Lake Chad has experienced a revival, establishing themselves in the region with a long-term economic and recruitment strategy.
