Given the context of rapid population growth, the potential offered by the water and fertile soils of Lake Chad is both real and under pressure. While it is true that the lake is exposed to climatic uncertainty, it is especially subject to the governance challenges presented by an area which is split between four states and also attracts the attention of the international community. In the current context notable for the revival of developmental projects, critical decisions need to be taken about the vocation of the lake and the forms of intervention which should be prioritised.