Environmental Issues in the Lake Chad Basin by Baba Ali Mustapha.


For much of my research work that follows I was deeply indebted to Professor Haruna .K. Ayuba, and Dr. A. Dami both of University of Maiduguri Department of Geography.

Background:-

The Lake Chad is located approximately between latitude, 120N and 140, 300N and longitudes 130E and 150, 300E. The Lake Chad basin originated as a result of peripheral uplift outside the basins which led to the formation of a closed inland drawage basin, with a large lake almost at the centre (Burke, 1979). Other Scholars (Sike, 1972: Carmouze and Lamoalle, 1983: Servant and Servant 1983: Grove 1958; Thambyapilly 1983:Kolawale, 1983, 1993: Dami 2008) have contributed greatly to our present knowledge of the lake.

The history of the lake is replete with periods of complete drying up followed by periods of surging back of the lake waters, Carmouze and Lamoalle, 1983 as well as Servant and Servant (1983) examined the lake sediments to throw light on the historical evolution of the lake. According to them analysis of diatomaceous materials in the sediments enable scientists to reconstruct the hydrological history of the lake. The first change in the basin, which occurred between 12, 000 and 22, 000 years ago led to the complete drying up of the lake and subsequent formation of sand dune ridges as a result of wind erosion and deposition. Climate change later led to wet conditions around 6000 years ago and resulted in the lake surging back. The lake which extended to Bama beach ridge (BBR) is referred to as Mega Chad. The Mega Chad level stood at 320 meters above sea level (asl) and the lake covered an area of 1.5 million Km2. Later, there were complex fluctuations accompanied by alternating wet and dry phase. Each phase affected the level and area covered by the lake.

The reduction of the lake to around 284 meters asl was achieved about 2500 years ago and had fluctuated around this level.

Actual measurement of the lake was started in 1911 by the French colonial masters. They recognized three levels of the lake fluctuation in recent times namely: Greater Chad, Normal or standard Chad and Lesser Chad (Sike, 1972). Greater Chad condition is when the lake level is at 283m as/or more and the area of the lake is around 25, 000km2. Normal Chad condition is when lake level is around 282m as land area of the lake is about 20,000 km2. Lesser Chad condition is when the lake level is below 280m asl, this was experienced in 1905-8, 1910 – 1916, 1972 -5 and 1983 to date.

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You took me back to the class. Nice job!