Senegal’s pink lake threatened by flood

After days of torrential rain, salt miner Moussa Diare could only watch in despair as flood waters breached a meters-wide gap on the banks of Senegal’s Pink Lake and washed away thousands of dollars worth of salt mounds he had gathered.
Senegal, like other countries in the West and Central Africa region, has recorded above-normal rainfall in recent weeks that has unleashed destructive floods after poor drainage systems failed.
The lake, separated by a strip of dune from the Atlantic Ocean, is situated around 35 km (20 miles) from Senegal’s capital Dakar. It is one of the country’s most visited sites, and under consideration as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Officially known as Lake Retba, it derives its pinkish hue from an algae that produces the coloured pigment, and like the Dead Sea, it is also known for it high salt content.
Diare is one of over 3,000 people who earn a living from the lake, including hundreds of divers who manually rake salt from the bottom of the lake, producing around 38,000 tonnes annually. The salt is used for cooking and exported around the region.