Africa's Lakes: Atlas of Our Changing EnvironmentUNEP/Earthprint, 2006 - 90 pages Prepared as part of UNEP's contribution to the 11th World Lakes Conference (held in Nairobi, Kenya in November 2005), this publication examines the environmental changes taking place to Africa's lakes by analysing ground photographs, current and historical satellite images and scientific evidence. Changes highlighted include the rapid shrinking of Lake Songor in Ghana, partly as a result of intensive salt production, and the extraordinary changes in the Zambezi river system as a result of the building of the Cabora Basa dam site. Other impacts, some natural and some human-made and which can only be truly appreciated from space, include the extensive deforestation around Lake Nakuru in Kenya, and the falling water levels of Lake Victoria which is now about a metre lower than it was in the early 1990s. The analysis recognises the importance of Africa's lakes as a source of livelihoods for many local communities, their contribution to the socio-economic development of the continent and the need for the sustainable management of these resources in order to help overcome poverty and meet internationally agreed development goals by 2015. |
Common terms and phrases
000 million Africa's lakes agriculture Algeria aquatic biodiversity birds Cameroon carbon dioxide catchment cent Challawa Gorge climate change continent's countries Djoudj DR Congo ecosystems Environment environmental fish fisheries flooding floodplain Forest freshwater Ghana Global human image shows impacts increase International irrigation Kano Kenya Kilometres km² km³ Lake Alaotra lake basins Lake Chad Lake Chivero Lake DR Congo Lake Ethiopia Lake Ichkeul Lake Kenya Lake Kivu Lake Malawi Lake Mali Lake Nakuru Lake Nasser Lake Nyos Lake Sibaya Lake South Africa Lake Tonga Lake Victoria lake's lakes in Africa land largest Lesotho Madagascar Manantali Morocco Mozambique NASA natural Niger Nigeria Nile pollution population rainfall region Reservoir River Basin satellite images Senegal Songor Lagoon Source species square miles Sudan surface area Tanzania threats tion Toshka Lakes Toshka Project transboundary Uganda UNEP UNEP/GRID-Sioux Falls United Nations Wahda water bodies water resources wetlands World Lakes Zambia Zimbabwe