Water is Life: A Visual Report from Lake Chad

Anthropologist Noora Al Neyadi travelled to Chad to more deeply understand the incredible history of the area, which sits at the ancient crossroads of Saharan Africa. Historically, Lake Chad was one of the largest sweetwater lakes in Africa. Today, it supports almost 30 million people, providing water to tribes and inhabitants of 4 different countries.

While historical aerial images of the lake required a helicopter to achieve, Noora was able to capture this drone image in 2023 when the lake receded to only 10% of its usual size. Taken from a height of nearly 5 kilometres off the ground, this abstract image of beautiful swirls is visually striking, though it also reveals the sad effects of climate change in the region. Now, instead of water, these dunes are filled with the bones of thirsty animals.