Many of World's Lakes Face Death Many of the world's freshwater lakes face death by pollution, resulting in catastrophe for the human populations that depend on them, an environmental expert warned in mid-November. "There is not a lake left on the planet that is not already being affected by human activities," said William Cosgrove, vice president of the World Water Council, an international organization that deals with ecological problems involving water. Cosgrove, in Japan to attend a week-long conference on saving lakes held in Otsu, a city in central Japan, said that the situation faced by many of the world's lakes -- estimated to number some five million -- is dire. A majority of the hazards result from a rising demand for water throughout the world sparked by population growth, according to a statement issued by the World Water Council. An extreme example is that of Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake, which has over the last two decades suffered the death of several species of fish and a dramatic increase in plant growth due to pollution from several sources, including raw sewage from surrounding towns. (end) Khorsheed.com - Dec 2001