Implications of Ecological changes on Sustainable Livestock Production in the Lake Chad Basin of Nigeria

Abstract

Tl~eLn lce Cllnd Collverltio~zalG asill is an extensive senli-arid plaiiz coverirzg parts of Clznd, Canteroolz,
Nigeria atzd Niger; w11ere diverse lzzrl~lalze c01~011zincc tivities sticll ns fari7ring, livestock luisbaizdry,
fisl~i~zgtr, adirzg and itzdlistrinl ll~i~zilzegx ploratiolzs are carried orlt. About 70% of criltivafed laild in
fl;c bnsirz is fizllozo and this largely esplairzs tlle l~iglz colzcentrafion of livestock as zuell as tlze existence
of large trans-Sharalz livestock frndirzg ce~ltcrsw itllin and aroz~lzdt he basin. Tlze lake provides
drinking zunter for livestock zuliilc its seepage to f l ~ esz lrroziizdilzg soils provides, nloistlire for
grou~tlz of Ilerbnge. Tlle fertile allzlvial soil deposit olz the slzore of the lake by flze receding flood
clzcoliragcs nrnble farirlir~g prnctice s that prodllced crop residlies for livestock. Trarls-lzun~arltc attle,
slleep nizd goats cotzstarztly Inove across izatiorzal bolin.dnries betweelz tlze varicrls ecological zones
depeizdi~zg on zulziclz is clirreiztly iilost favoumble. Tlze decades of Sahelian drought of 1963-1.983
cnrised a 60% redrictiorz irz water volllriac of the lake zul~iclz llnd seriolis uduease efiects on sociocco~
lonlic activities irzclzrdillg livestock productioai. Vasf areas of szuanzps borderiflg tlle lake dried
r1y lending to redzrctioil irz forage nvnilabilit!y. 0 1 1 flze other lnnizd tllere lzns been a co~lsisterzt irzcrense
irz der~~nizfrolr ineat by tlze e-oer iizrrensing Ilunna~l population. rccazise of its i~riportailcea s a
reservoir of izatz~ral resozlrces, the Lakc Cllad Basill is lleavily populated and greally exploifcd,
pnrticularly on tlze Nigerian portiolr. N I L I I Ia~c~fivZi fies as well as ~zafzlralc lla~lgesl rnve prodztced
iloticeable e~rvirollilzelztal effects zoiflr presslire on tlne fragile resources of tlze basin. Irrigntiole sclze~nes
011 tile in flow rivers abstract copio~lsa r?roz~~zokfs zoafer. The I L S 0~ 1 a gro-cheiizicals, parficlllarly
irzsecficides and large quaazfities of ferl-ilizer, becanze widespread ns flze frcui'itionnl and sr~hsisle~~ce
forllts of agrirziltlire r~ietairzorpllosed info co11111~erciangl ricult~~reP.r ospecting for crude oil and
~iiilli~logf ofiler solid rliiizerals ]lave lqfl lriirzirzg pits wlsicli are ecological wastelands. These clla~rges
rriise concerlls over pollu fion of tlle lake walrr zulncli Ili-iue lrenlfli ir~ryliccltiotzsJ or the local liveslock
nllri Izuijzaal populatioizs These l l a v ~cl xtrsed rlsajov sefbncks fo tire yrcdrectivify oj livestock idil llze
bnsiiz. l~r~provendg rinllfural practires and ralrurz~1r esozrrce ~llailngeiwetrtp oliaes are reco~~lnie~zded
irz order to restore tlte ecology of Elre hasirk nlzd /aence increase prod~lrffvityof the npsidenl livestork
popzdlition.