YAOUNDE, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The 3rd Lake Chad Basin Governors' Forum (LCBGF) to enhance stabilization efforts in the region opened in Cameroon on Monday.

Eight governors of the Boko Haram-affected areas from Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon in the Lake Chad Basin region are attending the forum in the capital city Yaounde.

The forum will assess the humanitarian and security development in the Lake Chad Basin, the progress in implementing stabilization interventions, as well as the contribution of civil society to achieving stability in the region, according to officials.

It will also review the state of civil-military and humanitarian cooperation, analyze the opportunities and stakes of cross-border cooperation and examine the various options and solutions for rehabilitating and reintegrating people formerly associated with Boko Haram.

Hosted by the government of Cameroon, the governors' forum is organized by the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), with technical support from the African Union, the United Nations Development Programme, and Crisis Management Initiative.

The lake, which borders Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, has lost 90 percent of its surface area due to poor water management and climate change, according to the United Nations which warned that millions of people need help to avert famine.

The area is also a stronghold for militant groups including Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) and Nigeria's Boko Haram.

In 2019, the governors and partners launched Regional Stabilization Facility for Lake Chad, an ambitious multi-million-dollar fund to scale up the range of stabilization interventions in areas of Lake Chad Basin. Enditem

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