Geographical Description of Kumadugu-Yobe River Basin of West Africa

Abstract

Kumadugu-Yobe river basin is located in African sub-region within the boundary of Nigeria and Niger republic. The basin is drained by two major river systems; river Yobe and kumadugu gana. The Two major rivers empty their waters into Lake Chad. The basin falls within three major climatic belts, namely: the guinea savannah at the water head; Sudan at mid-stream and Sahel at downstream. The rainfall pattern varies from over 1200mm at the Jos plateau water head to less 400mm at downstream. The basin constitutes only 6% of the Lake Chad basin but accommodating more than 55% of the basin’s population and also providing livelihood means to over 15 million people, particularly farmers, pastoralists and fishermen. However series of impediments has been altering with hydrology of basin following the sahelian drought of 1970s and 1980s. The basin ecosystem is vital to not only the local population but to global community at large. The hadejia-Nguru wetlands of basin is the key host to wintering migratory birds from Europe and also one of the Ramsar wetland site of international importance.