Abuja — Worried by the rapid shrinking in the size of Lake Chad, Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan (ANPP, Yobe North) has expressed concern on the possibility of the Lake drying up which could put the lives of over 20 million people that the depend on it in jeopardy.

Relying on a report of the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) that the Lake Chad could dry up in 20 years, Senator Lawan said failure to act now "Millions of people that depend on the Lake for their means of survival will be thrown into crisis."

Senator Lawan said the FAO report has indicated that "Up to 30 million people are facing humanitarian disaster as one of Africa's biggest lakes shrink. Once one of the biggest bodies of water in the world, it could disappear entirely in about 20 years. If that happens it's going to be a disaster."

He said the FAO report signals danger for the poor people that presently etch a living from the shrinking lake quoting the report as saying "In addition to 60 percent decline in fish production, there has been degradation of pasturelands, leading to a shortage of animal feed estimated at 45 percent in certain places in 2006, reduction in livestock and biodiversity."

The report states that the drying up of the lake is as a result of climate change, population pressure and natural variation in climate adding that "The FAO will unveil the result of a study into diversion of the Oubangui River in an effort to help Lake Chad."

Senator Lawan therefore cautioned the incessant construction of dams which contributes to dry up rivers and lakes downstream "That is why we are against construction of dams such as the Kafin-Zaki dam that will adversely affect greater number of people."

Millions of people in Nigeria, Niger and Chad Republic depend on water from the Lake Chad for fishing, livestock and agricultural activities. FAO said "It would be a human disaster, a tragedy. In this case we have people who are the poorest of the poor."