THE DISAPPEARING LAKE OF AFRICA

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 114, 10 November 1934, Page 25

THE DISAPPEARING LAKE OF AFRICA

Geographers are becoming worried about Lake Chad, Central Africa's greatest inland sea. Like the Caspian Sea and the DeadiSea,. this lake has no outlet!t6?theLoi;eaii\ and it is believed to be in dangerS6f!'arying|rup jsb'on^says the "News-Chronicle?'j '"•' ■ .fyp' i:\ ';£}

Lake Chad lies on the borders ...Jot Nigeria and the Trench territory'of Oubangui-Shari-Chad, well . known to schoolboys for its: flamboyant stamps. Almost as famous as Timbuctoo, it T6presents, like the latter, the southern limit of the Sahara Desert.

Normally covering anything from 5000 to 8000 square- miles, according to the season, Lake Chad for generations has been slowly drying. Now attention is called by Dr. Baeburn to_ a furtfier danger threatening its existence. Dr. Kaeburn is assistant director of the Geological-Survey of Nigeria. His assistant is Mr. Brynmor Jones. After a'full,!study .oKthe: surrounfling country Dr. Baebura has been forced to the conclusion] that the chief source of Lake Chad's water is likely to be "captured" by the Nigerian Biver; tha Benue, a tributary of the Niger. ' - This source is4he-,Shari ,Eiver, about 700 miles long; ■, Together with" its' tributaries th>: Shsri ; supplies " I threequarters of the water needed to maintain the resistance of the lake against the fierce heat of the African sun and the continuous^ infiltration iof::? idesert sand.' >■-~ ■■■...!" ■-,-• ■■:;^;-. '~:■.. :.,. ';•■;"* One tiibutary-of-the-'Shari, the'L6bone, is already;' -•.connected.! ,to ■ ,the Benue,.; and thence with the ' Niger, through the .luburi^ s^amp, land, it is believed that only a.sm'air change: in conditions would, suffice to .divert the greater part of,the:"waters of the Shari Biver system "into; Nigeria.. •■ This change is 'already in progress, Mr. Eaeburn states, and "unless ' : stop-

Ipea will lead to the drying up of Chad at'a relatively Nearly date. "While this is essentially a matter for the Trench," he adds, '' the disappearance of Chad might have repercussions on the climate~of British 'Bornu, which 'is situated in the north-west corner of Nigeriai'', ~, ' - • ; - The inhabitants' of British territory will still be able toidraw on a number of smaller rivers-'which^nqw into. Lake Chad from the British sideband will not be affected by the..''capture.':?;- The: Trench will,, it1 appears,-Aave no such. TCftl£?C* ■ . ■ > - "''"' ' '; The disappearance of Lako Chad would lend irony to a "race" for its shores betweenthree nations which took "place last century/owing to-an exagger-" ated belief in its economic importance. The Trench were the first to gam a footing, but in 1890-93 the shores of,the lake were, divided between . Britain, France, and: Germany. tion of what was formerly the German Kamerppna between prance." and Britain uncler mandates/Germany V interest in the lake: has disappeared.? ";£, -: ; :■? ;^; It is believed that Lake Chad was •known to; the; ancient geographer ,Pto.-. leiny, 1800 years' ago,'when ilr was probably^, considerably^ larger jthanj its Resent size. 'It was first _seeii.by white men in 1823, whenMt' was .Teaehed, by way of Tripoli/by the British explorers Walter QudfleyJoHugh^Clapperton.vand Dixon Denh'am.\ They .christened, it ;Lake Waterloo. =s*=^ ?,-*••"■•■/ i'\t '■• ,Jn.spite-of ?its s great-extent..and ,the, fact, that it receives"*the::dfain£ige"from 650,000 siiare miles, the'lake is seldom more than:;tweity, f e^raeepy^ ?t!§ BUrr face is broken, by two archipelagos,^one of-which ■nqas; formerly a.nqtecl haunt: of pirates. ~ln the dry season the rate pf vevaporation .is estimated, to-.be. ten inehes'a'month.^' ~SSO/v\>Vv ;'■■- ■• ■