Lake Chad used to be one of the biggest lakes in the world, but its
volume has been reduced to a tenth of what it was in the 1960s. (Credit:
IRD)
Lake Chad used to be one of the biggest lakes in the world, but its
volume has been reduced to a tenth of what it was in the 1960s. The way
this lake has dried up has become a symbol of climate change in action.
It's true that the lake's water level has always changed, but this
hasn't diminished the major changes to the lifestyle of the inhabitants
of the lake's shoreline. Yet, as demonstrated by a French-Nigerian team
including the IRD1, lake dwellers have made the best of these changes to
their environment. Formerly fishermen or herdsmen, they have become
farmers, often growing for export. The land that was part of the lake
has made it possible for them to develop highly productive crops such as
corn, rice and cowpea. In the valley of the Komadugu Yobe River in
Niger, they have even commenced the intensive farming of peppers, which
is highly lucrative although risky.
Rewatering the lake, as proposed by the Ubangi5 international
project, would cause upheaval once again to the farming system,
particularly if the yearly rise and fall in lake water levels were to
cease.
Lying in the midst of the Sahelian band, Lake Chad is a vital water
resource for fishermen, herdsmen and farmers from the four countries
along its shoreline: Niger, Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon. The lake has
undergone major changes in recent decades. Half a century ago, it was
virtually an inland sea with an area of 20,000 km². Recurring droughts
in the 1970s and 1980s caused it to dry up quickly and shrank its area
to around 2,000 km², which of course affected the lake people
Fishermen who...
A French-Nigerian team including the IRD1 studied the
major changes to lifestyles that have occurred around Lake Chad in
recent decades. The results demonstrate to what extent Sahelian
societies have been able to adapt to a major environmental shift. Using
an interdisciplinary approach, agronomists, anthropologists, geographers
and hydrologists looked especially at changes in the production methods
around Bosso in Niger, a small town which previously was located at the
fork of the Komadugu River and the lake. When Lake Chad was at high
water mark, up until the 1970s, the inhabitants mainly fished -- and this provided both food
and significant income from the export of smoked or dried fish.
No comments:
Post a Comment