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Ethiopia's vast lake being pumped dry (www.france24.com)
submitted 3 weeks ago by throws_lemy@lemmy.nz to c/earthscience@mander.xyz
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The pumps irrigate farms all around the lake, which is four times the size of Manhattan, and are vital for hundreds of thousands of people.

Ethiopia has already lost at least one large lake -- Haramaya, in the east of the country -- to over-pumping.

Now it risks losing another.

Lake Dembel's depth has halved since 1990 from four metres to two (13 feet to over six), according to Wetlands International, an NGO.

"If things continue like this, the lake could disappear," said its project manager Desalegn Regassa.

Pumping by farmers and industry is not the lake's only problem. Heavy pesticide use is also killing its fish, locals and the NGO say.

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[-] benjhm@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 weeks ago

At the same time, Ethiopia is also creating a huge new lake, capturing the headwaters of the Nile, it's far away across mountains to the NW, but maybe one day they'll be transferring water ?

this post was submitted on 14 Jun 2025
13 points (100.0% liked)

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