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What are the economic uses of lakes?

List the economic uses of lakes.

Answers

Maurice
(i) Source of building materials: sand is harvested from the shores of Lake Victoria at Usare, Sango and Usoma beaches, and it is used in the building and construction industry.

(ii) Sources of rivers: many lakes are sources of rivers for example,Lake Victoria is the source of the Nile. Some tarns on Mt Kenya are sources of rivers like Naro Moru which supplies water for domestic use.

(iii) Source of valuable minerals: some lakes like Lake Magadi have trona which is mined for economic gain. Table salt is also mined from Lake Katwe in Uganda. Lake Natron has large reserves of trona also.

(iv) Source of fish: Lakes Turkana, Naivasha and Victoria are a source food for surrounding communities. Fishing is also a source of employment and income, improving the standards of the people invloved in the activity.

(v) Tourist attraction: Many lakes both natural and man-made attract tourists, earning a country foreign exchange.

(vi) Flood control: Man-made reservoirs are built on rivers to regulate the flow of water and so curb flooding downstream for example on rivers such as Niger,The Nile and Tennessee.
maurice.mutuku answered the question on June 9, 2017 at 06:32

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