Formation of Lake Chad and its background stories:

By: Sana Boguena

Chad map

Map of the study area

Climate. The Lake Chad Basin has a great range of

tropical climate from north to south.

. Most of these climate tend to be dry.

. Some regions in that area are characterized by a cycle of alternating rainy and dry season.

. The duration of each season is determined by two great air masses:

-A maritime mass over the Atlantic Ocean

-A much drier continent mass.

Water Systems:

.Permanent streams do no exist in northern Chad

.Water may flow through depressions calling enneris or wadis.

.Chad’s major rivers are the chari and the logone and their tributaries, which flow from the southeast into lake Chad.

.Both river systems rise in the highlands of Central African Republic and Cameroon.

.the regions receive more than 1,250 millimeters of rainfall annually.

Fishing. In the 1970s Chad ranked high among

Africa’ producers of inland freshwater fish.

.Traditionally, fish has been an important source of protein for those living along the rivers and lakes.

.There was not accurate statistical information on fishing.

.In the mid-1980s, Chad had taken few steps to control or modernize fishing or to promote fish conservation.

Research Boat and fishing:

Lake Chad as seen from Apollo-7 in 1968.

Lake Chad’s story cont’

. Lake Chad is one of the biggest lake in Africa

.It is blue, salty water and measured more than 10 meter deep.

.The size of Lake Chad has gone from 30,000 km in 40 years.

. Between 1966 and 1997, Lake Chad has gone from 25,000 km to less than 1,500 km.

1973 1987 1997

Earth Observation in 2001

Distribution of Aquatic Macrophytes In Lake Chad in 1968:

.Black spots show areas where specialStudies have been carried out.

.Based on my research , I found out that cyperus and typha australis are common in that area

Zonation of aquatic and terrestrial vegetation on a dume slope in the

archipelago.

Palm trees in the Lake Chad’s area

International and National organizations involved:

. Office de la Recherche Scientifique et Technique Outre – Mer (ORSTOM)

. Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC)

.Global Environment Facility (GEF)

.World Bank.

Conclusion:

The Lake Chad Basin is a great place for environment researches and other studies issues, but it needs a lot of works and helps. For the future, Lake Chad Basin need an additional biological research and government control .

References:

.The scientific Editors ORSTOM, 24,rue Bayard, 75008 Paris, France.

.www.Africa’s Disappearing Lake Chad/

.http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?cstdy

.Wetland in Lake Chad,1968