Lake Chad Orrin Babcock Location lakechad.gif Area 10,000 25,000 km 2 Inflow from the Logone- Chari river system Freshwater Closed system Max depth of 10-11m 4-8m in the North 2-4m in the South 1/20 of its original size Logone-Chari river system Industries of Lake Chad Basin Fish Market / Fisheries Manufacturing Leather Industry Cotton Spinning brewing, machinery, milling and food industry Industries Cont. Agriculture MilletCassava Also: Groundnut, sorghum, maize, rice, onions, tomatoes, cotton Soda Mining Soda Biodiversity of Lake Chad Kuri Cattle Papyrus Blackcrowned Crane Alestes baremoze A. dentex Shrinking of Lake Chad https://earthkam.ucsd.edu/ek- images/investigating_images/chad Lake Chad, once upon a time: The vulnerability of Africas shrinking Lake Main causes for shrinkage: Climate Overgrazing / Desertification Irrigation Climate Change Over grazing Deforestation Desertification Leads to Drifting sand dunes More sediments in lake Irrigation Diverts water from Lake Chad as well as the Logone-Chari river system which feeds the lake. 20 million people live in the LCB (Lake Chad Basin) and rely on irrigation for agriculture Flood Irrigation Irrigation Canal Minor Cause Lack of Government funding / attention devote a meager part of budgets for management more concerned with short-term subjects Proposed Solutions Empowerment of the Commission (LCBC) Regulate and control the utilization of water and other resources within the basin. Lake Chad Replenishment Project (LCRP) transfer water from Oubangui River Dam at Palambo Navigable canal of about km to Lake Chad Conclusion Educate the people of the area Have the Basin Govts work together The future of the Lake depends on how well recovery projects are implemented. Questions?