Previous Year Question
Which one of the following lakes of West Africa has become dry and turned into desert?
Lake Victoria
Lake Faguibine
Lake Oguta
Lake Volta
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
Location and hydrological setting
Lake Faguibine is situated in northern Mali, approximately 80 kilometres west of Timbuktu.
It forms part of an interconnected lake system that formerly received water through channels during the annual floods of the Niger River.
The lake and its surrounding region were once important for agriculture, fishing and pastoral activities.
Drying of the lake
During the 1970s, several consecutive years of severe drought in the Sahel substantially reduced the flood discharge of the Niger River.
Consequently, sufficient water could not reach Lake Faguibine and the lake dried up. Much of its former lakebed became dry and desert-like.
Factors aggravating the problem
Sand and silt accumulated in the channels connecting the Niger River with the lake.
Sand dunes also blocked sections of these waterways.
Erratic rainfall, desertification in the Sahel and the use of river water for irrigation and hydropower further affected the supply reaching the lake.
Therefore, even after rainfall conditions improved, the lake could not return to its earlier state.
Why are the other options incorrect?
Lake Victoria: A vast freshwater lake in East Africa, shared by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
Lake Oguta: A natural lake in Imo State in south-eastern Nigeria.
Lake Volta: A vast artificial reservoir in Ghana, created behind the Akosombo Dam.
Fact
Mali + west of Timbuktu + dependent on Niger floods + Sahel drought of the 1970s = Lake Faguibine.