UPSC Prelims 2022 Question:

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

Learn more about the Lakes of West Africa in the given explanation below.

Explanation:

• Lake Faguibine in northern Mali is dry and has been since the 1970s.
• The Lake Faguibine System, four interlinked lakes 80 km west of Timbuktu, was historically one of Mali's most fertile areas. But over seven years, droughts in the 1970s dried up the lakes.
• Then sand filled the channels connecting the lakes to the River Niger, with the result that when rain finally returned the water could no longer reach the lakes. The region's prosperity evaporated along with the water.

Lakes of West Africa

• Lake Volta (Ghana): The world's largest man-made lake by surface area. It was created in 1965 by the construction of the Akosombo Dam on the Volta River. Lake Volta provides electricity, irrigation, and transportation for millions of people in Ghana.
• Lake Oguta (Nigeria): A shallow lake that is located in southeastern Nigeria. Lake Oguta is known for its beautiful scenery and its hot springs.
• Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and the second-largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. It is located in East Africa and is shared by three countries: Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.

Therefore, option (2) is the correct answer.