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https://theconversation.com/senegals-pink-lake-is-on-the-verge-of-disappearing-how-to-protect-it-220975>
"Lake Retba, better known as Lac Rose (the Pink Lake), is located around 35km
from the city of Dakar, Senegal. It sits in a depression with a shoreline 6.5
metres below sea level.
The lake is isolated from the sea by about 1km of sand dunes. Its fresh water
comes from the seasonal water table in the dunes, which are higher than the
lake. Thus the sea provides most of the lake’s water and all of its salt.
The lake’s waters are virtually devoid of life, with the exception of a few
microscopic algae and bacteria.
The Pink Lake is one of the main tourist destinations in the Dakar region,
primarily because of the pink colour of its waters. But it’s losing its appeal
for a number of reasons. Apart from tourism, artisanal salt mining has been one
of the dominant activities around the lake. This activity involves between
1,500 and 3,000 people, with an estimated annual production of 140,000 tonnes
in 2010, sold throughout the country and in some neighbouring countries.
I’ve studied this lake since 1995, initially for my PhD thesis. Since then, I
have been closely monitoring the lake through numerous research projects
carried out by my team and myself. I was also the lead researcher on “The Pink
Lake Studies”, a component of a mining sector support programme (Programme
d'appui au secteur minier). The recommendations I made at the end of this
project, which I led between 2008 and 2010, were not implemented.
In this article, I explain why the waters of this lake are pink and the current
challenges it faces, which have pushed it into decline."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
