Lake Chad – a source of water to millions of people in West Africa – has shrunk by nine-tenths due to climate change, population growth and irrigation . ... Lake Chad has shrunk by 90% since the 1960s, due to climate change, an increase in the population and unplanned irrigation.
How has Lake Chad changed over time?
The lake was once one of the largest water bodies on the planet and due to climatic variability, climate change and human pressure on water resources in its basin over recent decades, the lake has shrunk by 90% from 25000 square kms in 1963 to less than 1500 square kilometers in 2001.
How has Lake Chad changed in the last 50 years?
Shrinking for 50 years
The area is particularly sensitive to drought , and historically the lake has fluctuated dramatically in size during prolonged dry periods. But data from NASA Earth Observatory and others demonstrate the extent it has declined in the last half century. The disappearing water in Lake Chad.
What caused Lake Chad shrink?
The water body has diminished by 90% since the 1960s due to overuse and climate change effects . Conflict between herders and farmers became common as livelihoods were lost. Families who relied on the lake started migrating to other areas in search of water.
How has Lake Chad changed since 1963?
Former Research Analyst – Africa Growth Initiative
The lake has been considerably shrinking since 1963, as seen in the below figure from the chapter on Confronting Climate Change in Foresight Africa 2017. Between 1963 and 2013, the lake lost 90 percent of its water mass , shrinking from 25,000km 2 to 2,500km 2 .
Why is it important to restore Lake Chad?
Lake Chad is economically important, providing water to more than 30 million people in four countries surrounding the central part of the Sahel. In West Africa, the multiplying effect on agricultural productivity, health and security of the region is affected by the decrease in water levels of the Lake.
Are there crocodiles in Lake Chad?
Lake Chad itself holds 85 fish species. ... There are many floating islands in the lake. It is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including elephants, hippopotamus, crocodile (all in decline) , and large communities of migrating birds including wintering ducks, ruff (Philomachus pugnax) and other waterfowl and shore birds.
Why is Chad so poor?
Mismanagement, corruption , conflict and a harsh climate did the country no favors, and Chad has consistently remained one of the poorest countries in Africa. Over half of Chad’s population lives in poverty; this is partly a result of the harsh geographical conditions.
Does Chad still exist?
Chad is a large landlocked country spanning north-central Africa. It covers an area of 1,284,000 square kilometres (496,000 sq mi), lying between latitudes 7° and 24°N, and 13° and 24°E, and is the twentieth-largest country in the world.
Is Lake Chad going to dry up?
Our results indicate that in tandem with groundwater and tropical origin of water supply, over the last two decades, Lake Chad is not shrinking and recovers seasonally its surface water extent and volume .
Is Lake Chad getting bigger?
Lake Chad has shrunk by 90% since the 1960s , due to climate change, an increase in the population and unplanned irrigation. Its basin covers parts of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, and has been a water source for between 20 million and 30 million people.
How many countries make up the Lake Chad Basin?
As the basin covers parts of eight countries (Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Sudan, Algeria, and Libya) spanning across the Sahel, its waters constitute a vital lifeline for people and nature in this semi-arid region of West and Central Africa.
Why is Africa drying up?
Poor human management through overgrazing and unsustainable irrigation has resulted in the replacement of natural vegetation with invasive plant species (now covering 50% of the lake), deforestation and the drying of the climate.
Is Chad in a drought?
Widespread drought and food insecurity remain a major challenge in Chad, affecting some 3.4 million people, including 1.6 million in need of humanitarian assistance. More than 320,000 children suffer from severe acute malnutrition, another 40,000 from moderate acute malnutrition.
Who owns Lake Chad?
Lake Chad’s declining water level has been on the political agenda of the Sahel region since the 1960s. The water is shared by Niger, Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon though it also affects communities in the larger regional spread of the basin that includes Libya, Algeria, Sudan and the Central African Republic.
Which part is the hottest part of Africa?
The hottest average temperature on Earth is at Dallol, Ethiopia, which averages a temperature of 33.9 °C (93.0 °F) throughout the year. The hottest temperature recorded within Africa, which was also the world record, was 57.8 °C (136.0 °F) at ‘Aziziya, Libya on September 13, 1922.
