Olivia Stewart & Mia DeRobertis Lake Chad Olivia Stewart & Mia DeRobertis

Lake Chad Was once the second largest lake in the world Located in Central North Africa Shares its shores with Niger, Chad, Nigeria, and Cameroon Provides water for 20 million people Very important for irrigation and fishing Started shrinking in the past 50 years

Why It Is Shrinking Drought of the 1970s dried up the northern region of the lake People constantly fighting over its resources is taking away from it Desertification; land too dry to support life Bad management of irrigation systems going out of the lake Pollution is causing the climate change that is causing Lake Chad's shrinking Dry climate evaporates water Major overgrazing of animals

How Much It Has Shrunk Over Time Has been shrinking for the past 50 years About 1/20th of its normal size Has shrunk by 90% of its original size In early 1960s was larger than Vermont, now smaller than Rhode Island

Impacts and Effects Loss of fisheries Less water for irrigation or drinking water Causes tension between countries because sharing limited resources The overgrazing causing loss of vegetation and drier climate Conflict between farmers and fishers on who gets to use the lakes resources/water Farmers and cattle herders moving away to greener areas

Prevention Plans of building a dam and 60 miles of canals that will pump water up the Congo River, then the Chari River into Lake Chad World Bank provides 10.6 million dollars towards a project that will reverse water and land degradation Livestock herders are being educated on gaining access to grazing and water areas to prevent overgrazing