 12
September 2008 – Bird experts and conservationists
remain concerned about the proposed soda ash mining at Lake
Natron, its influence on the lake and on the survival of
the regions flamingos. During the 12th Pan-African Ornithological
Congress (PAOC), which took place near Cape Town South Africa
from 7-12 September 2008, delegates adopted a resolution
which called for the development of an Integrated Management
Plan for Lake Natron which “underpins the conservation
of the Lake Natron ecosystem in perpetuity, and the use
of its resources in a manner that does not put biodiversity
and people’s livelihoods at risk.”
Tanzania’s Lake Natron Basin was
added to the Ramsar List in 2001 as a representative example
of a Rift Valley soda lake, which is also the only significant
and regular breeding site for the East-African population
of Lesser Flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor). This
population represents over 75% of the world population of
this species.
The resolution adopted at the largest gathering
of ornithologists and bird conservationists in Africa also
recognizes Lake Natron as uniquely suitable for Lesser Flamingo
nesting because of the chemical composition of the water,
the presence of a suitable substrate for nest construction,
and very effective isolation from disturbance by humans
and predators.
A Ramsar Advisory Mission (RAM) No. 59,
comprising experts from the Ramsar, CMS and AEWA (represented
by AEWA’s Technical Officer, Mr. Sergey Dereliev),
took place from 17-29 February 2008. The aim of the advisory
mission was to provide advice to the Tanzanian government
concerning the wise use and future management of the Lake
Natron site, with particular reference to the proposed development
of a soda ash facility.
The report on the Ramsar Advisory Mission
No. 59 has recently been published and consists of 44 pages
summarizing the situation at Lake Natron in more detail.
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