✅ Answer: C – Irrigation projects for cotton farming Explanation: The passage explicitly states that Soviet-era diversion of rivers for cotton irrigation caused 85% of the water loss, not climate change alone.
For some lakes, the biggest threat is from climate change. On average, the surface water of the world’s lakes has gone up in temperature by 0.34°C every ten years since 1985. Lake Tanganyika in East Africa is a lake where this trend has been observed, although it is by no means the most extreme example. This would be Lake Fracksjon in Sweden, where an increase of 1.35°C per decade has been observed – a figure which is estimated to rise. For Lake Tanganyika, however, the consequences have been severe. Warming has disrupted its ecosystem, and fish numbers have dropped sharply. In turn, this decline in fish stocks has impacted on families living in villages and towns around the lake, since they have no other source of protein. Furthermore, around 100,000 people depend on the fisheries established around Lake Tanganyika. These companies provide them with regular employment, without which communities will not survive. earth lakes are under threat reading answers exclusive
Key Concept : Rain washes from farms into nearby streams. This influx of phosphorus and nitrogen triggers massive algal blooms . When the algae dies and decomposes, it consumes all dissolved oxygen, creating "dead zones" where fish cannot survive. Human Engineering and Economic Toll (Paragraph E) ✅ Answer: C – Irrigation projects for cotton
For many decades, scientists believed that arid regions would become drier and humid regions would become wetter under climate change models. However, the new findings challenge this "dry-gets-drier, wet-gets-wetter" paradigm. Even in traditionally humid zones, lakes are shrinking. The compounding factors of rising ambient temperatures and increased solar radiation have accelerated evaporation rates, outpacing the local rainfall. Consequently, ecosystems that once enjoyed stable water tables are now facing unprecedented seasonal deficits. Lake Tanganyika in East Africa is a lake
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Lakes often feel permanent, but they are highly sensitive dynamic systems. Unlike oceans, inland lakes rely on a delicate balance between inflows (precipitation, river run-off, glacial melt) and outflows (evaporation, human drainage). When human populations alter the inflow—by building dams or pumping water out for mega-farming—the lake levels drop with astonishing speed. The Feedback Loops of Climate Change
Freshwater ecosystems are the lifeblood of our planet, yet recent environmental studies reveal a sobering reality: Earth’s lakes are under significant threat. Whether you are a student looking for for an academic exam or an environmental enthusiast, understanding the stressors on these bodies of water is crucial.