It is internationally recognised as a valuable wetland site by the Ramsar Convention and as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International (Fishpool and Evans 2001, TME 2007). With vast isolated salt flats providing safety from predators and ready supplies of freshwater and food from lakeside springs and cyanobacteria-rich hot saline waters, Lake Natron is a perfect breeding site for Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor, classified as Near Threatened on the 2008 IUCN Red List. Indeed it is the only known site in East Africa where the species regularly nests, with 2.5 million individuals (75 % of the global population) flocking to the area every year (Koenig 2006, BirdLife International 2008). In 2007, plans were unveiled to build a soda (sodium carbonate) extraction facility on the shores of the lake, a proposition that would significantly change its hydrology and chemical composition rendering it unsuitable for Lesser Flamingo (Fishpool and Evans 2001, Burton et al.
2007).Ĭovering a wide area and including new road, rail and air links, a coal-fired power station and modern housing, the facility is predicted to extract more than 100,000 litres of freshwater and 550,000 litres of brine from the lake every hour and to pump back over 400 metric tons of depleted brine and 90 metric tons of mud. These effluents could significantly lower the salinity of the lake and increase its turbidity, lowering the productivity of cyanobacteria such that the lake would support fewer flamingos. Flamingos prefer mud sites for nesting, but soda ash extraction would deepen the lake and flood these sites, making them unusable.įreshwater sources and the lake water itself would also become heavily polluted with domestic and industrial waste, sewage and toxic chemical seepage from storage areas. The development would also compete for critical freshwater resources needed by the flamingos for bathing and drinking, and could cause other mudflats and wetlands surrounding Lake Natron to dry out and cease to act as predator deterrents. Lesser Flamingos would be threatened by disturbance from heavy machinery, vehicles, construction activities and aircraft noise associated with the facility. New scavenging predators, such as Marabou Stork Leptoptilos crumeniferus, could be attracted to the area and an increase in the human population twinned with improvements to the surrounding infrastructure could result in an increase in illegal poaching from nesting colonies (Koenig 2006, Burton et al. The tourist industry at Lake Natron would also suffer if Lesser Flamingos-one of the chief attractions-were forced to leave, and concerns have been raised over the consequent loss of local livelihoods (Burton et al. Protests from local people and conservation organisations have resulted in the development being postponed for now, but Lesser Flamingos are not safe yet. Unless the developers abandon their plans for Lake Natron, the species could soon become globally threatened through the loss of its most important breeding site.In spite of its deadly nature, the lake is known to be hospitable to a few of the world’s endemic species. The alkaline tilapia, a very rare fish, lives along the edges of the hot spring inlets. Moreover, the lake derives its vermillion shade of red and pink from a few species of halophiles and thermophiles that are an integral part of this lake. As isolated as the lake is (it wasn't even discovered by Europeans until 1954), there are no protections in place for the lake or its threatened flamingo population.įollow Marc Lallanilla on Twitter and Google+. The serenity of Lake Natron - and its flamingo population - are threatened by a proposed hydroelectric power plant on the Ewaso Ngiro River, the main river feeding the lake. As shallow lakes in a hot climate, their water temperatures can reach as high as 106 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius). Both are terminal lakes that do not drain out to any river or sea they are fed by hot springs and small rivers. Lake Natron is one of two alkaline lakes in that area of East Africa the other is Lake Bahi. Part of its toxicity is caused by the Ol Doinyo. The flamingos' nests are built on small islands that form in the lake during the dry season. Located in a remote region of Tanzania, in East Africa, Lake Natron is one of the most toxic places on Earth. During breeding season, more than 2 million lesser flamingos ( Phoenicopterus minor) use the shallow lake as their primary breeding ground in Africa.
0 kommentar(er)
