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In this lesson we are going to discuss the positive and negative significance of lakes

Answer Text:
Significance of Lakes
Positive
1. Fresh water lakes provide water for domestic and industrial use.
2. Fresh water lakes also provide water for irrigation e.g. Naivasha for horticultural farms a ound it.
3. Man made lakes and some other lakes e.g. Victoria (Owen falls) are used for generation of H.E.P.
4. Lakes are used for transport.
5. Some lakes contain valuable minerals e.g. trona at L. Magadi and salt at L. Katwe in Uganda.
6. Many lakes have fish which is a source of food and employment to fishermen and traders.
7. Lakes are also a tourist attraction by providing recreational facilities and being habitats for wildlife.
8. Some lakes are sources of rivers e.g. Victoria for White Nile and L.Tana for Blue Nile.
9. Lakes modify the climate of surrounding areas by sea breezes and convectional rainfall.

Negative
1. Lakes are habitats for disease vectors e.g. mosquitoes and snails which transmit Malaria and bilharzia.
2. Lakes may cause flooding due to excessive rainfall or when dams break leading to loss of life and property.
3. Lakes are habitats for dangerous animals like crocodiles, hippos and snakes which kill humans.
4. Lakes cause drowning accidents to people in time of storms.