Lake Chad is little used for commercial navigation, although there has been intermittent barge traffic between Bol and N’Djamena since the early 1950s.
What is the importance of Lake Chad?
Lake Chad (in French: Lac Tchad) is a large, shallow lake in Africa. It is economically very important, providing water to more than 20 million people living in the four countries which surround it — Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria. It is located mainly in the far west of Chad, bordering on northeastern Nigeria.
Why is Lake Chad economically important?
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.
What is wrong with Lake Chad?
But the Lake Chad “Basin” that covers almost 8% of the continent, spreads over seven countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Libya, Niger and Nigeria. The water body has diminished by 90% since the 1960s due to overuse and climate change effects.
Why is Lake Chad drying up?
Lake Chad has literally gone from being an oasis in the desert, to being just desert. … 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.
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.
Who needs Lake Chad?
For years, the lake has been supporting drinking water, irrigation, fishing, livestock and economic activity for over 30 million people in the region. It is vital for indigenous, pastoral and farming communities in one of the world’s poorest countries.
Why is Lake Chad not salty?
It is the largest lake in Central and West Africa and the fourth largest lake on the African continent. … Despite the high rates of evaporation, Lake Chad has low levels of salinity because the more saline waters sink and leave the lake through subterranean conduits in the north.
How is Lake Chad saved?
The Lake Chad replenishment project is a proposed major water diversion scheme that would involve damming the right tributaries of the Congo river, channeling some of the water to Lake Chad through a navigable canal. The canal, named Transaqua, was proposed by a team of engineers of the firm Bonifica, led by Dr.
What are people doing to save Lake Chad?
But there have been spirited efforts to rescue the lake from oblivion. The governments in the Lake Chad region are exploring reviving a plan that was first explored in 1982 by an Italian engineering company to construct a 2,400 canal that will tap water from the tributaries of Congo River and drain it into the Lake.
What are the effects of Lake Chad shrinking?
The 30 million people living in the Lake Chad region compete over water, and the drying up of the lake could lead to migration and conflicts, according to FAO. Fish production has recorded a 60 percent decline, while pasturelands have been degraded, resulting in a shortage of animal feed, livestock and biodiversity.
How do you fix Lake Chad?
The commission’s member countries have plans to replenish the lake by building a dam and 60 miles of canals to pump water uphill from the Congo River to the Chari River and then on to Lake Chad.
Is Chad in West Africa?
The Republic of Chad | West Africa.
Is Lake Chad still shrinking?
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 Chad a dry country?
Chad thus has one relatively short rainy season. The dry season, which lasts from December to February everywhere in the country, is relatively cool, with daytime temperatures in the mid-80s to mid-90s F (upper 20s to mid-30s C) and nighttime temperatures that drop to the mid-50s F (low to mid-10s C).
Is Lake Chad freshwater or saltwater?
Lake Chad, French Lac Tchad, freshwater lake located in the Sahelian zone of west-central Africa at the conjunction of Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Niger.