By Emmanuel Mgimwa, Eastern and Southern Africa Coordinator for the IUCN-SSC Flamingo Specialist Group (FSG)
A new proposal for soda ash mining at the Lake Natron Ramsar Site by Ngaresero Valley Company Ltd has united calls for conservation and protection of the site, for ecotourism instead of mining, across Tanzania and internationally.
Stakeholders, including the private tourism sector, local communities, and conservation groups are standing together, commending the Tanzanian Government’s ongoing conservation efforts and the growth of the ecotourism industry in Lake Natron Ramsar Site. This collective position directly reflects the 2008 government’s historic decision to halt a similar soda ash mining proposal by TATA Chemicals Ltd and instead promoted ecotourism business, which is now flourishing, demonstrating the remarkable vision of the Government of Tanzania that has come into reality for the Lake Natron Ramsar Site. Based on thorough scientific reports that highlighted the irreversible ecological and economic threats of soda mining at Lake Natron, the Government opted instead to invest in ecotourism, which is now thriving under the excellent leadership of our President, H.E. Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan, through her remarkable Royal Tour campaign.
Stakeholders strongly maintain that ecotourism, rather than soda ash mining, offers the only sustainable future for this delicate and unique ecosystem. Dredging for soda ash mining in Lake Natron would cause an ecological disaster for the Lesser Flamingo and a regional setback for all of East Africa. The thriving ecotourism industry on the site must be protected to embrace the excellent vision of our President through the Royal Tour. By upholding its 2008 decision to ban soda ash mining at the Lake Natron Ramsar Site, the Government of Tanzania will continue to demonstrate its global commitment to sustainable development and its obligations to the Ramsar Convention.
Figure 1: All Lesser Flamingos in East Africa (between 1.5 and 2.5 million individuals) are born and raised in the Lake Natron Ramsar Site. Tanzania’s 2008 ban on soda ash mining and favouring ecotourism was key to the ongoing conservation and ecotourism at Lake Natron. Now, amid renewed soda ash mining proposals by Ngaresero Valley Company Ltd, stakeholders urge the government to uphold its 2008 visionary decision.
A Legacy of Leadership: The 2008 Government’s Decision to Protect Natron
In a significant victory for conservation, the Tanzanian Government in 2008 effectively stopped a proposed soda ash mining project by TATA Chemical Ltd and instead promoted ecotourism business. This landmark decision was a direct response to international outcry over the project’s irreversible negative impacts. A comprehensive cost-benefit analysis report at the time clearly demonstrated that ecotourism was not only more profitable but also considerably more sustainable than soda ash mining. In stark contrast, soda ash mining was projected to be considerably less profitable, even resulting in a net loss for the investor under certain tax exemptions, while causing irreversible environmental impacts.
This 2008 pivotal government decision to ban soda ash mining at Lake Natron Ramsar Site was also reflected by the 2008 Ramsar Advisory Mission (RAM) report on Lake Natron, which found that any large-scale industrial development would pose a catastrophic threat to the Lesser Flamingo, as 75% of the world’s population is born and raised at Lake Natron Ramsar Site. The report concluded that the soda ash mining project would violate Tanzania’s international obligations under the Ramsar Convention. The environmental concerns raised by the 2008 RAM remain valid today.
Figure 2: Dredging lake sediments for soda ash of the specialised and delicate ecosystem of Lake Natron would permanently destroy these critical habitats, leading to a catastrophic collapse of the global Lesser Flamingo population and an irreversible loss of revenue for both local communities and the regional ecotourism industry.
The Irreversible Cost of Soda Ash Mining at Lake Natron: A Threat to Ecology
The claim that dredging in Wosiwosi village, which is also a vital breeding site for the Lesser Flamingo in Lake Natron, would not damage the wider ecotourism industry on site is misleading. Dredging for soda ash at any point in the lake risks irreversible damage to Lake Natron’s unique and fragile ecosystem, which provides feeding and breeding grounds for up to 2.5 million Lesser Flamingos in the East African region, representing 75% of the global population. The breeding and feeding ecology of these flamingos is highly sensitive to several crucial factors that soda ash mining at any point in the lake would destroy. These include:
- Hydrological and Water Level Balance: Soda ash mining involves pumping out large amounts of lake water and diverting scarce freshwater from key rivers, likely to be the transboundary Ewaso Ng’iro, which would cause an irreversible hydrological imbalance and disrupt optimum water levels critical for flamingo breeding and feeding ecology.
- Physical and Chemical Properties: The lake’s fragile, hyper-alkaline and physical-chemical balance is extremely vulnerable. Dredging for soda ash risks permanently altering the optimum physical-chemical variables, including pH and salinity, making the water unsuitable for the flora and fauna that sustain the lacustrine food web.
- Natural Safety from Disturbance: The lake’s unique, highly caustic environment and hydrological balance act as a natural barrier, protecting nests from predators. Mechanical excavation of the lakebed for soda ash mining, industrial activities, human traffic, and noise would permanently destroy this protection, leaving the nests vulnerable and the entire breeding ecology and requirements destroyed.
Figure 3: The image highlights the critical importance of Lake Natron’s hydrological balance for Lesser Flamingo breeding and feeding. Any alteration to these fragile water levels and the lake’s precise chemical conditions by soda ash mining would cause the irreversible destruction of this major breeding site for 75% of the global Lesser Flamingo population.
Figure 4: The image highlights the critical importance of Lake Natron’s hydrological balance for the Lesser Flamingo breeding and feeding ecology. Any alteration to these fragile water levels and the lake’s precise chemical conditions would cause the irreversible destruction of this major breeding site, a site vital for the global Lesser Flamingo population.
A Flourishing Ecotourism Economy That Benefits All
Since the 2008 decision by the Government of Tanzania to halt soda ash mining at Lake Natron, the government, local communities, and the private sector have collaborated to protect the site and promote ecotourism. Currently, the ecotourism business in Lake Natron area is a well-established and profitable reality, experiencing a significant boom, a success driven largely by the remarkable Royal Tour campaign led by our President, H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan.
The benefits of this thriving industry are widespread and inclusive:
- District-Level Revenue: The three districts of Longido, Monduli and Ngorongoro collect significant revenues from the ongoing ecotourism, which are channelled into development projects like health facilities and schools in their respective villages. Therefore, the argument that Wosiwosi needs soda ash mining to benefit from Lake Natron is fundamentally inaccurate, as it already receives district-level revenues and has the potential to develop its own ecotourism ventures.
- Direct Community Benefits: Villages like Engaresero have created their Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) to manage tourism revenue, creating jobs for local youths and women and channelling revenues to development projects at the village level.
- Potential for Expansion: The success of Engaresero village is a model for other villages, such as Magadini, which is now benefiting directly from ecotourism, proving that even areas without direct tourism, like Wosiwosi, can develop their ecotourism ventures with support.
A Gamble with No Return: Why Ecotourism Must Not Be Sacrificed
The Government of Tanzania’s commitment to Lake Natron conservation is embodied in the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority’s (TAWA) ongoing efforts and dedication. TAWA’s work in protecting this vital Ramsar Site is further complemented by its crucial role in coordinating ecotourism activities and generating essential revenues for national development.
The question now being posed by tour operators, communities, and conservationists is critical: Why risk killing a thriving, sustainable ecotourism business that benefits everyone for a destructive project that will benefit a few for only a short time? The planned soda ash dredging would not only wipe out a thriving ecotourism enterprise but also permanently destroy the world’s main breeding ground for the Lesser Flamingo, a key attraction in East African tourism.
Figure 5: Ecotourism at Lake Natron benefits local communities in Engaresero and Magadini villages, with revenues also collected by TAWA and districts of Longido, Monduli, and Ngorongoro channelled to village development projects, demonstrating the broad economic reach of a sustainable model unlike the proposed soda ash mining.
Regional Cooperation and Alternative for Soda Ash Mining in Tanzania
The well-being of Lake Natron Ramsar Site is not just a national concern but also a regional and global responsibility. As a transboundary ecosystem, it is protected under the East African Community Transboundary Ecosystem Management Act of 2010. The Lesser Flamingos that breed and are raised at Lake Natron serve as a regional asset, feeding in lakes across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. Similar to the Mara-Serengeti Great Wildebeest Migration, this transboundary wildlife phenomenon attracts millions of tourists to East Africa. Consequently, the destruction of Lake Natron would not only threaten the entire regional tourism circuit but also risk diplomatic disputes over shared resources.
A sustainable alternative for soda ash mining exists at the Engaruka Basin, enabling Tanzania to meet its industrial demands without risking Lake Natron. Stakeholders commend the Government of Tanzania for its foresight in preparing Engaruka Basin for soda ash mining, which holds substantial brine reserves and is safely separated from Lake Natron’s fragile ecosystem. By focusing on soda ash mining at Engaruka Basin, Tanzania can pursue industrial development while also safeguarding Lake Natron as a unique ecosystem that serves as a source of regional and global heritage and a crucial contributor to ecotourism revenue for East African governments.
Stakeholders are therefore urging the Ngaresero Valley Company Ltd to meet its soda ash demands by focusing its mining efforts at the Engaruka Basin instead of the Lake Natron Ramsar Site.
An Appeal to Uphold a Legacy
It is through these careful considerations and lessons from the past that communities, conservationists, and tour companies are standing strong, commending the Government of Tanzania for its visionary leadership over Lake Natron Ramsar Site through the ongoing conservation efforts and ecotourism coordination. These efforts, at different levels, are inspired and guided by President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan’s leadership and her dedication to safeguarding Tanzania’s natural treasures and boosting tourism through the Royal Tour campaign.
Stakeholders are therefore urging the Government of Tanzania to uphold its notable 2008 decision to prohibit the new soda ash mining proposal at Lake Natron as proposed by Ngaressero Valley Company Ltd. They also appeal to the company to focus its efforts on the sustainable alternative at the Engaruka Basin. This joint action would enable Tanzania to continue supporting its thriving ecotourism industry, which benefits all, while safeguarding this wetland of international importance and fulfilling its obligations under the Ramsar Convention.
Figure 6: A Lesser Flamingo chick, a symbol of life unique to Lake Natron, could become a memory if soda ash mining is permitted in the Lake. This would endanger thousands of jobs in ecotourism and millions of dollars in government revenues from ecotourism in the East African region.
Figure 7: Silencing this precious future? A Lesser Flamingo chick, a symbol of life unique to Lake Natron. Dredging for soda ash will obliterate their only East African breeding ground, silencing their calls forever and devastating local and regional ecotourism. Let us not steal this miracle.
©All pictures are copyrighted to Paul McKenzie.
