This is good news for the lesser flamingos at Lake Natron. In March 2018, the Government of Tanzania announced that they were withdrawing plans to build the soda ash plant at Lake Natron, but would promote an alternative site at Engaruka, some 30 miles (50 km) south of Lake Natron. Additionally, the livelihoods of local communities would also be at risk. It takes very little disturbance to cause an entire breeding colony to abandon its nests. We believe that the development and associated infrastructure will displace and scatter the 500,000 pairs of lesser flamingos which nest at Lake Natron. But the Tanzanian Government remained committed and the National Development Corporation, a government agency, led a push to find alternative investors. Thankfully in May 2008 Tata withdrew from the project. New road and rail infrastructure would also be built to serve the soda ash plant. In 2006, the Tanzanian Government and the Indian company Tata Chemicals put forward proposals to build a large-scale industrial plant to extract soda ash from Lake Natron's water, via a network of pipes across the surface of the lake. All depend on Tanzania's Lake Natron as a breeding site.įood is plentiful, nesting sites abound – and above all, the lake is isolated and undisturbed. Three-quarters of the world population of lesser flamingos live and nest in East Africa. The soft, clear water is a welcome refreshment under the blazing African sun.A huge number of lesser flamingos depend on Tanzania's Lake Natron as a breeding site, threatened by a large-scale soda ash development The cool water shoots over rugged rocks overgrown with mosses and wildflowers. The campsites near the salt lake also serve as base camps for ascents of nearby Ol Doinyo Lengai, Tanzania's only active volcano.Īlong a river, a hike of about 2 hours over narrow paths in the midst of a breathtaking mountain world leads to a good 20m high waterfall. Lake Natron also has some attractions to offer in its surroundings. According to research, they are 120,000 years old and belong to about 30 men, women and children. The fresh volcanic ash hardened and preserved these historic footprints for posterity. Traces of the pastĪbout 350 human footprints were found in the volcanic ash on the shore of Lake Natron over an area of 150m². The Lake Natron Consultative Group is now campaigning for the conservation of Lake Natron and the flamingos. Until now, because of its inaccessibility, no formal protection of Lake Natron has been necessary to prevent such projects. If this plan is implemented, the flamingos of East Africa will be driven to the brink of extinction. There have already been plans to extract the natron from the lake and use it for industrial purposes, which would prompt the construction of a pumping station and power plant, as well as housing for about 1,000 workers. Therefore, be sure to have sunscreen and enough water with you! Lake Natron in danger There are also no trees or rocks that would provide shade, only shimmering heat. Tip: If you visit Lake Natron, expect extremely high temperatures. They are heavily dependent on the continued existence of Lake Natron, because on top of that, the desert-like environment of the salt lake keeps predators away, allowing the flamingos to breed in peace in their mud nests. In East Africa, this is the only feeding and breeding ground for the huge colonies, making the lesser flamingos a "near threatened" species. Up to two and a half million of the fascinating pink birds gather at Lake Natron for regular feasts. The algae and brine shrimp are the preferred food of a variety of birds, most notably the elegant, salmon-colored lesser flamingos. The concentrated population of the tiny animals gives the salt lake its characteristic rust-red color, which makes it visible even from space. However, Lake Natron is mainly populated by the endemic algae Spirulina and billions of brine shrimp. Despite the extremely salty and alkaline water, Lake Natron is home to cichlids in the less saline water regions.
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