Thousands are currently in danger as lakes in Kenya start to flood due to rising waters along the Great Rift Valley of East Africa.
People Flee as Lakes Flood
Thousands have left their livelihoods and homes as severe flooding threatens their safety. The flooding was caused by unusually heavy rain that lasted for months. Advocates say that the situation would not have been as destructive if there had been no illegal deforestation in the area.
The flooding lakes include Lake Bogoria and Lake Baringo. Before, their distance from each other was 12.5 miles or 20 kilometers. The flooding has grown too close to one another that people fear each will contaminate the other, resulting in even more threats to livelihoods and wildlife.
The Great Rift Valley’s Lake System in Kenya
The Lake System of Kenya that is part of the African Great Rift Valley is a relatively shallow system and interlinked lakes. These are Lake Nakuru, Lake Elementaita, and Lake Bogoria.
The area comprises 32,034 hectares and is the habitat of 13 threatened species of birds. This system has some of the world’s most diverse diversities of avian species; it is also the Lesser Flamingo’s most crucial forage area. It is also a significant breeding and nesting site for the species of great white pelicans.
The area also has significant mammalian fauna, the most important of which is the Rothschild’s giraffe, black rhino, greater kudu, cheetah, wild dogs, and lions.
It is also famous as a study site for major ecological processes.
Lake Baringo
Meanwhile, Lake Baringo is also located in Kenya in the west-central region. It is located 975 meters or 3,200 feet above sea level. Its area is 129 km2 or 50 mi2, with a length of 18 kilometers, a width of 8 kilometers, and a depth averaging 5 meters.
It is a freshwater lake without any visible outlet; instead, it seeps into the lavas on its north side. Biodiversity is also abundant in the lake, including various crocodiles and hippopotamuses. It is vital for the livelihood of the Njamus/Njemps and Kamasya groups, who utilize it to harvest tilapia fish, herd their livestock, and plant crops.
Kenya Lake System
Meanwhile, the Kenya lake system has three alkaline lakes on the Great Rift Valley’s floor. It has high biodiversity, including a hundred migratory bird species, including the Black-Necked Grebe, Pied Avocet, African Spoonbill, Gull Billed Tern, Little Grebe, Black Winged Stilt, Yellow-Billed Stork, and Grey-Headed Gull. It is part of the critical Eurasian-African avian migratory flyway where billions travel back and forth their breeding grounds in the north and their wintering areas in the south.
Managing and Protecting the Lake System
This area has legal protection, updated management plans, as well as adequate hands-on management. Sustaining this management system is essential in addressing various issues. Management includes management of catchment level development and threats, particularly on groundwater, forest cover, and surface pollution. And participatory and intersectoral governance, especially regarding environmental impact assessment and creating better ecological connectivity among the system’s various parts.
All of these delicate components are currently being threatened by the flooding, which can merge Baringo and Bogoria lakes.
