Lakes Are Under Threat Reading Answers - Earth

Surface temperatures have risen by an average of 0.34°C every decade since 1985. This warming disrupts the ecosystem, leading to a sharp decline in fish numbers. This is a crisis for local families who depend on these fish for and the employment provided by the fisheries. The Core Threats

A third critical threat is the over-extraction of water for human use. Agriculture alone accounts for roughly 70% of global freshwater withdrawals. When water is diverted for irrigation, industry, or urban supply faster than natural cycles can replenish it, lakes inevitably shrink. The most catastrophic example is the Aral Sea in Central Asia. Once the world’s fourth-largest lake, it has been reduced to less than 10% of its original volume after Soviet-era irrigation projects diverted its feeder rivers. The resulting ecological and human disaster—toxic dust storms, collapsed fisheries, and abandoned ports—stands as a grim warning. Similarly, the Dead Sea is shrinking at a rate of over a metre per year due to mineral extraction and diversion of the Jordan River. These cases show that the line between use and abuse is dangerously thin. earth lakes are under threat reading answers