Metro
Livelihoods threatened by ‘speedy shrinking’ of Lake Chad- WaterAid
The livelihood of millions of people who make a living by fishing and other activities around Lake Chad is now under threat due to the shrinking nature of the world’s largest freshwater reservoir.
The development has forced WaterAid to issue a plea on the need for improved strategies to manage water resource to remedy losses in the region.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, WaterAid Country Director, Dr ChiChi Aniagolu-Okoye, said the “speedy shrinking of the basin is threatening the resources and livelihoods of millions of people”.
“Lake Chad, the largest fresh water reservoir, is an important resource shared by Nigeria and other benefiting countries within the region.
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“The lake sustains a lot of people, who are largely farmers, fishermen and livestock breeders.
“The speedy shrinking of the basin is threatening the resources and livelihoods of millions of people who are living there.
“There is no doubt that the management of the lake requires greater resources and expertise; involvement of water experts is certainly a welcome intervention,’’ she said.
Dr Okoye who warned that an alarming humanitarian crisis could be fast developing as a consequence of the threat also called for involvement of water experts, particularly geologists, in proffering solutions to the diminishing of the lake.
“Most of the people living around the lake have been displaced by natural forces.
“These forces include drought and desertification brought about by the effects of climate change; high winds and temperature in the region have resulted in diminishing resources of the Lake Chad Basin,’’ she said.
She appealed to the governments of the commission’s countries which include Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Algeria, the Central African Republic, Libya, and Sudan to expedite actions in reclaiming the basin.
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