Rapid Dry-up of Dudi Lake in Malunfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State
Ogwu, Friday Adejoh, Ph.D
Department of Urban and Regional Planning
Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola
Email: fridayogwu@mautech.edu.ng; fridayogwu@hotmail.com
&
Radda, Ibrahim Abubakar
Department of Natural and Environmental Sciences
American University of Nigeria, Yola
ABSTRACT
The Dudi lake of Malumfashi Local Government Area in Katsina State is a very important water body to the community. The community depends on the lake for their livelihood and some percentage of their food and aquatic protein come from the lake. Historically, the lake has never dried until recently, in years less than a decade. It has frequently continued to dry year after year since the first incidence. This study was done purposely to understand the complex causes of drying up of the lake as well as its impacts on the community. The paper focuses solely on the perceptions of the local community as well as believes from them about the problems causing that, and to draw conclusions and provide possible suggestions. The major problems are excessive sand deposit into the lake by erosion, too much human consumption through irrigation and other means, pollution of the water, and little rain water input. It was interesting to understand that the community perceives the changes in rainfall and average temperature. They perceived the change in increasing temperature and decreasing rainfall, the paper draw a conclusion connecting the dramatic tragedy with the climate change.
Key Words: Rapid, Dry-up, Lake, Katsina State.
