The outcome of the dam diverting vast amounts of water has negatively impacted communities downstream. Maga Dam is the subject of ongoing environmental studies which implicate the diversion of water, which served as natural inflow to downstream regions, as the primary cause of Lake Chad shrinkage.
The consequences of diverting water from the dam have had a devastating impact on communities downstream, prompting ongoing research that identifies the diversion as the primary factor contributing to Lake Chad's shrinkage.