Assessment of Seasonal Water Scarcity in Pastoral Communities of Borno State

Pastoral communities in Borno State in Nigeria's North East geopolitical zone face acute seasonal water scarcity that constrains livestock watering, household consumption, and sanitation, compounding the already severe humanitarian conditions created by years of conflict and displacement. This study assesses the spatial and seasonal dimensions of water scarcity in pastoral communities across three local government areas of Borno State: Mobbar, Kukawa, and Abadam, situated in the Lake Chad fringe. Data on water source locations, types, seasonal functionality, and water quality were collected through GPS-based surveys and water quality testing at 62 water points during the dry season peak in March and wet season peak in August 2023. Household surveys with 240 pastoralist families recorded daily water consumption per livestock unit, distance travelled to water sources, perceived changes in water availability, and adaptive responses. Remote sensing analysis of Normalised Difference Water Index time series was used to monitor seasonal water body dynamics in the Lake Chad fringe zone. Results reveal that 48 percent of mapped water points become non-functional or critically low during the dry season, forcing pastoralists to travel averages of 22 kilometres to reach functioning water sources, compared to 7 kilometres during the wet season. The shrinkage of Lake Chad's peripheral water bodies, observable in the satellite time series, has eliminated previously reliable perennial water sources in Kukawa and Abadam. Recommendations include strategic borehole installation at drought-refuge locations, hafir dam rehabilitation, and transboundary water resource cooperation mechanisms. Keywords: water scarcity, pastoral communities, Borno State, Lake Chad, North East Nigeria.