1. Lake Chad Orrin Babcock

2. Location lakechad.gif

3. 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

4. Logone-Chari river system

5. Industries of Lake Chad Basin Fish Market / Fisheries Manufacturing Leather Industry Cotton Spinning brewing, machinery, milling and food industry

6. Industries Cont. Agriculture MilletCassava Also: Groundnut, sorghum, maize, rice, onions, tomatoes, cotton Soda Mining Soda

7. Biodiversity of Lake Chad Kuri Cattle Papyrus Blackcrowned Crane Alestes baremoze A. dentex

8. Shrinking of Lake Chad

9. https://earthkam.ucsd.edu/ek- images/investigating_images/chad

10. Lake Chad, once upon a time: The vulnerability of Africa’s shrinking Lake Main causes for shrinkage: –Climate –Overgrazing / Desertification –Irrigation

11. Climate Change Over grazing –Deforestation –Desertification Leads to –Drifting sand dunes –More sediments in lake http://peakwater.org

12. 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

13. Minor Cause Lack of Government funding / attention –devote a meager part of budgets for management –more concerned with short-term subjects

14. 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 100-150 km to Lake Chad

15. Conclusion Educate the people of the area Have the Basin Govt’s work together The future of the Lake depends on how well recovery projects are implemented.

16. Questions?