Climate Fact: Losing Lake Chad
The Sahara Desert is moving south and taking over areas that just decades ago were savanna or forest. Some of the most striking changes have happened in Lake Chad. Just 40 years ago, Lake Chad encompassed 25,000 square kilometers and fishermen would take over 230,000 tons of fish out of the lake every day. Today, the lake has shrunk to 500 square kilometers and the daily catch has dwindled to about 50,000 tons. People are now farming in areas that just decades ago were submerged.
Seasons: Spring, Summer
(Source: Murray, Senan. “Lake Chad Fisherman Pack up Their Nets.” BBC News 15 January 2007. Accessed Online 10 March 2007 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6261447.stm>)