Kenya: Key Lakes Succumb to Human Activities
He adds that Lake Ol Bollosat, the only lake in Central Province and one of the few highland lakes in the world, has also suffered a similar fate.
A group of 250 families affected by Kenya’s post-election violence, which saw about 600,000 people displaced from their homes after the country’s disputed 2007 elections, have bought land on the shore of the lake where they have now settled.
Their destruction of the nearby Abrade Forest has caused the rivers that run from the forest into Lake Ol Bollosat to dry up.
Lake Ol Bollosat used to be home to a number of hippopotamuses and up to 200 species of birds, and is the source of water that feeds Thompsons Falls, Kenya’s most scenic waterfall. Standing at 2,360 meters above sea level, the 72-metre waterfall is an important tourist attraction and source of revenue in Nyahururu, one of Kenya’s highest towns.
“This lake has reduced in size from between 5,000 to 10,000 hectares to less than 3, 000 hectares currently in less than three years. Consequently hundreds if not thousands of birds have shifted to other lakes or died, hippos have continued to die with tourists opting to go to other places,” Lagat told IPS.
Lagat says that despite the government’s order over a year ago that people encroaching on Abrade Forest be moved; nothing has been done. Last year, the Environmental Ministry introduced a policy that directed the cutting down of eucalyptus trees in wetlands and along riverbanks. The trees are blamed for their consumption of huge amounts of water.
“Some people have, however, continue to grow these trees to the detriment of rivers and important catchment areas,” Lagat says.
However, William Kimosop, a game warden at Baringo, says that the Kenya Wildlife Service is working hard to protect these resources and open up the region to tourism.
Tagged: East Africa, Environment, Environment, Kenya, Oceans.—ips
Posted by admin
on Feb 11 2012. Filed under Environment.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry