THE IMPLICATIONS OF DAM CONSTRUCTION ON FARMING ACTIVITIES AT DOWNSTREAM COMMUNITIES OF BADE COMMUNITIES AZBAK AND USUR

ABSTRACT This study investigates the Implications of Dams Construction on Farming Activities at Downstream Communities of Bade communities Azbak and Usur. This investigation aim at achieving the following objectives to examine farming as a livelihood of people at downstream of river Yobe in prior to dam construction in 1970s. The study revealed that dam has deliver negative economic value when its effect on downstream communities was taken into account, on completion of the dam, the river flow downstream at Gashua in Yobe state fell about 100,000,000 cubic meter (3.5 x 10 Cuft) per year due to upstream irrigation and by more than 500,000,000 cubic metres (3.5 x 10 cufti) per year due to evaporation from the reservoir. Dams had cause in tense poverty, increase desert encroachment, migration and conflicts between. arable farmers and herdsmen; it has also damage the cycle, reducing catches and harvest of other Westland product. The Yobe River no Longer flows to Lake Chad. Its estimated that Lake Chad will dry up completely within 40 years. More than 30 million people drive their livelihood from Lake Chad Basin through fishing, raising livestock and farming. This research work recommended the following; Government has to provide a way by which river Yobe will flows into Lake Chad, so that poverty will be reduce with desert encroachment and also reduce migration and conflict between farmers and herdsmen, The Ministry of Agriculture should try as much as possible to provide adequate financial support and equipment needed toward the development farmers at the downstream communities.