Question 10 from UPSC CSE 2022 - Current Affairs

Question

Which one of the following lakes of West Africa has become dry and turned into a desert?

Accepted Answer

Correct Option: B. Lake Faguibine

Strategy: Focus on elimination by recalling known, prominent lakes and their status: Lake Victoria and Lake Volta are large, significant, and perennial water bodies in Africa--not dry or desertified. Lake Oguta in Nigeria still exists as a water body. Only Lake Faguibine in Mali is known for drying up and becoming desert-like, matching the description in the question.

Key Info: - **Lake Faguibine:** A historically significant endorheic lake system located near Timbuktu in northern Mali, West Africa. Historically connected to the Niger River, it filled during periods of high river flow. Severe droughts during the 1970s and 1980s, exacerbated by desertification and blocked channels, led the lake to dry up completely, transforming parts of its basin into desert. Attempts to restore its ecology have largely failed due to ongoing climatic variations and siltation.

- **Lake Victoria:** Africa's largest lake by area, lying between Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. It is the main reservoir of the Nile River and remains a major freshwater body.

- **Lake Volta:** One of the world's largest artificial lakes, located in Ghana and created by the Akosombo Dam. It is neither dry nor desertified.

- **Lake Oguta:** A natural lake in southeastern Nigeria, noted for local economic activity, and retains its water body status.

The desertification of Lake Faguibine stands as a significant case of environmental change in the Sahelian region, tied to drought, climate variability, and human factors such as land use and water management.

Answer

Option A: Lake Victoria

Answer

Option C: Lake Oguta

Answer

Option D: Lake Volta