Rivers Network

Comment of the Webmaster :

Like this testimony...Nevertheless, we often limit the cause on Global Climate Change as they may be other combined causes such as unsustainable water use for irrigation, overtapping of the aquifers, and low capacity to get an efficient international water dialogue throughout the Lake Chad Basin.

Lake Chad is the ultimate outlet of the whole basin. In many case, Global Climate Change (which is a huge threat actually and likely one of the key factor affecting this area) may serve as a pretext for masking local responsibilities of powerful decision makers. By the end, for the people affected by this drama, the result is the same, but they lose the capacity to objectively analyse more deeply why we get there and how to actually tacle all issues on an holistic approach. Definitely, I like this video...It worths the debate...

Lake Chad, once one of Africa’s largest lakes, is in distress. The lake is shared by Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria; its basin – which extends as far Algeria, Libya, and Sudan – offers a lifeline to nearly 40 million people. Over the last 60 years, the lake’s size has decreased by 90 per cent as a result of over use of the water, extended drought and the impacts of climate change. The surface area of the lake has plummeted from 26,000 square kilometers in 1963 to less than 1,500 square kilometers today. The reduction, which has been called an ecological disaster, has not only destroyed livelihoods but led to the loss of invaluable biodiversity.

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Bird's eyes