Analysis of the Strategies Employed by Riparian Communities to Cope with Retreating Water Levels in Lake Chad Basin

Abstract

The problems associated with declining levels of freshwater and water resources inadequacies in the Lake Chad basin of Central Africa are worrisome and growing. The purpose of this paper is to present up-to-date information on the freshwater situation in the basin and analyze the strategies which riparian communities now employ to cope with the decline in freshwater levels of the lake. The physical and hydrological characteristics of the basin as well as the indicators of freshwater decline within the basin were identified and described. Patterns of decline in lake water levels over decades (1963-2015) were x-rayed and the implications of the decline on the socio-economic activities of the people highlighted. The survival strategies adopted by the riparian communities to cope with the decline in water levels as well as the weaknesses of the strategies were discussed. In conclusion, the payer suggests directions for the modification of the coping strategies in order to eliminate observed flaws and improve their efficiency in assisting the riparian populations survive hash environmental conditions.

Keywords: Arid environment, Chad Basin, Indicators, Strategies, Riparian communities, Water level decline.