Lake Elementaita: A vast ecosystem threatened by pollution

Waterfowl communities, a riparian forest, hills and cliffs give life to the Lake Elementaita ecosystem, 75 per cent of which is in the Soysambu Conservancy, a 45,000-acre private wildlife and cattle ranch.

This lake, into which Mbaruk River flows, is an important natural habitat for threatened species of outstanding universal value.

It consistently holds large populations of Greater and Lesser Flamingo, Great White Pelicans and many other water birds.

But this lake is facing immense pressure due to pollution and encroachment.

RICH HISTORY

Lake Elementaita has a rich history as its basin has one of the oldest archaeological sites - it is of the Oldowan period with stone tools dating back to 700,000 years ago found at Kariandusi.

The Obsidian mines at the Eburru Mountains are evidence of Obsidian trade more than 3,000 years ago. The region was occupied by the pastoral Neolithic and later the Maasai who called it “Elementaita”.

Further, the area around Lake Elementaita was designated an Important Bird Area (IBA), a site of global significance for bird and biodiversity conservation, in 1999.

“Lake Elementaita is a critical breeding ground for the Great White Pelicans, has over 450 species of birds and is a haven for thousands of Greater and Lesser flamingos that flock during favourable conditions,” says Mr Richard Kipng'eno, the Resident Naturalist of Lake Elementaita Serena Camp.

PRESSURE

The lake was labelled a Ramsar site - a wetland of international importance - in 2005 and was gazetted as a National Wildlife Sanctuary in 2010.

And in 2011, Unesco listed it, alongside lakes Nakuru and Bogoria, as part of the Kenya Lakes System in the Great Rift Valley World Heritage Site.

The rise in water levels in the past years has had a significant negative impact on congregatory bird species populations.

In addition, Pelicans' breeding islands are totally submerged and flamingos are forced to migrate out in pursuit of concentrated alkaline waters where their food production is sufficient.

“This lake is among the natural World Heritage sites facing major challenges caused by human activity and climate change. There has been an increase in organic pollution due to urbanisation,” says Jeff Mito, the Soysambu Security Manager

LAKES SYSTEM

The challenges of pollution and encroachment go beyond Lake Elementaita to the lakes system.

The system presents an exceptional range of geological and biological processes of exceptional natural beauty, including falls, geysers, hot springs, open waters and marshes, forests and open grasslands concentrated in a relatively small area in the backdrop of the Great Rift Valley.

The system illustrates ongoing ecological and biological processes which provide valuable insights into the evolution and development of soda lake ecosystems and related communities of plants and animals.

“Low species diversity and abundant resident populations of birds and other animals make the soda lakes of the property especially important environments in which to conduct investigations of trophic dynamics and ecosystem processes,” says Mr Mito.

The production of huge biomass quantities in these distinctive soda lakes and the food web that Spirunila algae supports are also of international scientific value, and provide critical support to birds, which visit the property in large numbers in response to seasonal environmental changes.

HUMAN ACTIVITIES

The aquatic area around the Kikopey hot springs is a foraging area for water birds and a breeding area for fish.

As such, human activities at the hot springs have negative effects on fish and birdlife.

Access to hot sprints is currently free and open to all so human traffic is high, especially during weekends, the damage including water pollution heavy littering.

The water pollution is due to activities such as warm baths as the hot springs are valued for healing the skin and refreshing the body. But this results in the introduction of phosphates and other soap ingredients.

These activities and others kinds of lake degradation have adversely affected water quality, productivity and biodiversity, thereby affecting the ecosystem's ability to support life.

SITE SUPPORT

These threats presented the need to conserve the Lake Elementaita ecosystem and restore the glory of the tourist attraction.

As such, the Lake Elementaita Ecosystem Group (LEEG) was formed in 2016, initially as a security group to help with patrols.

Mr Mito, who also serves as the LEEG's chairman, says members include business people directly or indirectly dependent on the lake and residents including villagers, members of Nyumba Kumi teams and administration officers.

Their activities initially included collecting litre along the highway, and around the lake and hot springs.

The security group later turned into a fully-fledged conservation group, ensuring sustenance of the lake and its environs, as well as empowering the community through income-generating activities.

Nature Kenya adopted the LEEG in December 2017, after scouting since September for a Site Support Group (SSG) to work with in conserving and protecting the Lake Elementaita IBA.

BURNING WASTE

So far, the LEEG has constructed three incinerators to burn waste and put up two boards to inform visitors of the ecological sensitivity of the area and the importance of conservation.

Destruction of the breeding ground for water birds is one of its major concerns.

“There used to be four hides in total around the lake. However, they were all destroyed by the high water levels. There is urgent need to have them repaired and for more to be set up since the water level is receding and pelicans' breeding grounds are emerging again," says Mr Kipng’eno.

Hides give visitors an optimum view of the birds without intrusion into their breeding islands.

OTHER SOLUTIONS

The LEEG has also come up with some solutions such as fencing around hot sprints, providing alternative water collection points for the communities and establishing a Community Eco-education and Resource Center for the people to learn conservation.

It has also sustained garbage collection and engaged in tree planting, training on bee keeping as well as community outreach programmes.

Environmental activist James Wakibia notes the need for public awareness campaigns as human activities and climate change are a threat to lakes and the species that live there.

“Campaigns help stress the need to protect environment. Pollution continues to destroy our lakes and biodiversity unabated, because of systematic failures in protecting the environment, “he says.

Mr Wakibia added that to win the war on pollution and encroachment on lakes, the government should invest more in environmental protection and conservation.