By Emmanuel Mgimwa, Eastern and Southern Africa Coordinator for the IUCN-SSC Flamingo Specialist Group (FSG)
Lake Natron, a globally recognised Ramsar Site, has been home to local communities, including the Maasai people, for generations. They raise their cattle here, and their traditional ways of life are deeply connected to the land. The site also serves as an important global breeding ground for the Near-Threatened Lesser Flamingo. However, a significant concern has emerged: a plan to extract soda ash, recently revived by the Ngaresero Valley Company Ltd.
Communities unite against soda ash mining in Lake Natron
In May, June and July 2025, local communities around Lake Natron met to discuss the proposed soda ash mining project. These meetings were convened by village government officials from Wosiwosi, Alaililai, Ilchangit Sapukin, Engaresero, Magadini, Pinyinyi, Loondolwo, Gelai Lumbwa, and Gelai Merugoi, to which they invited Nature Tanzania.
After considering all the benefits the lake already provides, from important grazing land for their cattle to thriving ecotourism, they strongly opposed the soda ash mining plan. They supported the current government’s efforts in tourism development over any damaging mining project. Furthermore, they called upon the Government of Tanzania to protect the site by stopping the proposed soda ash mining, based on its potential negative and irreversible impacts on the environment, tourism revenues, grazing land, and their cultural heritage.
The spiritual and practical connection the Maasai have to the lake was powerfully articulated by Timo Neru, a laigwanaan from Alaililai village, who stated, “This lake isn’t just water; it’s like our mother, it gives us everything, from grazing land to clean air and our heritage.”
Threats to a unique and vital ecosystem
The communities are deeply concerned about the significant, long-term damage to the lake’s delicate ecosystem. This includes the breeding grounds for 75% of the world’s Lesser Flamingos! Lake Natron’s Ramsar designation highlights its international importance for biodiversity and sustainable wetland use, making industrial exploitation a direct challenge to international conservation efforts. Furthermore, the proposed soda ash mining project would directly undermine Tanzania’s obligations to conserve biodiversity, especially for a “near-threatened” species like the Lesser Flamingo.
The Maasai community in Lake Natron worries about more than just the flamingos. Their lives are tightly linked to the lake’s delicate balance. As Ibrahim Sakay, a respected community elder, noted, “For the Maasai communities, raising cattle isn’t just how they make a living; it’s who they are, how they get food, and how they show their wealth. The planned soda ash mining project would require a significant amount of freshwater and extensive areas of land for roads, buildings, and waste disposal, which would “mess up everything.”
Freshwater scarcity, contamination, and regional concerns
A major concern for the communities in Lake Natron is access to freshwater. Soda ash processing needs a substantial amount of freshwater, which is already scarce in the Lake Natron area. Taking this freshwater from the lake’s wetlands, which are fed by springs and seasonal rivers, would lead to severe water shortages and conflicts for local communities and wildlife. It would also significantly alter the lake’s hydrology and ecology, impacting the delicate balance of the ecosystem that many species depend on. Furthermore, communities highlighted the ongoing soda ash mining at Lake Magadi in Kenya as a clear warning, illustrating its negative impact on the communities, environment, freshwater resources, and grazing lands.
Beyond freshwater, communities raised serious concerns over contamination. The chemicals used in soda ash extraction and the waste products generated can pollute both surface water and groundwater. This poses a direct threat to the health of people and livestock who rely on these sources for drinking.
It is also important to note that Lake Natron is part of a larger East African Rift Valley ecosystem. The potential impacts of mining could extend to Kenya, affecting shared natural resources and potentially leading to regional disputes, undermining the spirit of the East African Community Transboundary Ecosystem Bill 2010.
Protecting tourism, livelihoods, and national revenue
Lake Natron’s unique landscape and massive flamingo flocks attract tourists, significantly boosting the local economy with lodges, tours, and related businesses.
“Many companies have invested in Engaresero and Magadini villages. Environmental damage from a soda ash plant could harm tourism and livelihoods, resulting in losses for companies and reduced revenue for the Tanzanian government,” stated Daniel Sironga, the chairperson of Engaresero Eramatare Community Development Initiative (EECDI), a community organisation at Engaresero village that coordinates tourism activities on behalf of local communities.
Studies have demonstrated that soda ash mining is not economically viable in the long term due to environmental costs and lost tourism opportunities.
“If the flamingos are gone, if the lake is dirty, who will visit?” asked Mathias Nguruma, a local tour guide, looking sad. “They say they’re bringing development, but they’re destroying what already gives us a good living and lets us own our resources.” Pumping water from Lake Natron in Wosiwosi will affect the entire ecosystem and negatively impact ecotourism, which provides a source of income to support a family of two daughters and one son, he added.
During the meetings, Ngiding’a Lemailogi, the village chairperson from Wosiwosi village, highlighted that, although direct ecotourism activities aren’t currently taking place at Wosiwosi, their Longido district is generating significant tourism revenue at the Engaresero gate. This tourism revenue plays a key role in their economic development, enabling the government to construct a dispensary, provide electricity, and educate their children. This demonstrates that Wosiwosi village is already benefiting from ecotourism activities indirectly, and there is substantial potential to attract further investment from the tourism sector in their village.
Mr. Luka Lekide, Coordinator of Engaresero Eramatare Community Development Initiative (EECDI), noted, “Our government (district councils of Ngorongoro, Monduli, and Longido), as well as the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA), already collect significant revenues from tourism going there. There’s also potential for increased tourism in other areas of the lake, not to mention tourist hunting activities around the Lake Natron Game Controlled Area, making the site an important source of revenue for our government and, therefore, contributing to the economic development of our country.” He urged the government to listen to the community’s concerns and protect the site from the proposed damaging development.
Moving forward: sustainable development for all
Following the village government leaders’ meeting in May 2025, they agreed to hold additional meetings with their council members to raise awareness about the harmful proposed project. Nature Tanzania was invited to these meetings to explain the lake’s significance for flamingo breeding and the survival of other wildlife species.
Wosiwosi village government council members strongly opposed the proposed soda ash mining based on its negative and irreversible impacts.
In all the village meetings, including those at Wosiwosi village, the communities praised the Government of Tanzania, through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, for protecting the area, which helps generate revenue through tourism. This revenue is used by the government for development projects such as health centres, schools, roads, and electricity. This is what they called sustainable development.
Wosiwosi village government leaders and other community members met on the 16th July 2025 and strongly opposed the proposed soda ash mining and called on the Government of Tanzania to stop it.
Magadini village government council members also strongly opposed the proposed soda ash mining during their official meeting.
Furthermore, Lake Natron is a major tourist destination, connected to other popular tourism hotspots, such as the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti National Park. Soda ash mining activities could deter visitors and negatively impact the tourism industry, affecting local livelihoods and government revenue at the village, district, and national levels. As a connected ecosystem, negative damage on any side of the lake will have catastrophic impacts on the entire ecosystem, affecting even existing tourism activities in the area. Consequently, this would damage Tanzania’s international reputation as a leader in conservation and a prime ecotourism destination if the Lake Natron Ramsar Site is to be industrialised.
Alaililai village government council members also strongly opposed the proposed soda ash mining during their official meeting.
Ilchangit Sapukin village government council members also strongly opposed the proposed soda ash mining during their official meeting.
Youths attending the meetings also voiced concerns about the argument for job creation by the soda ash mining investor. While some jobs may be created through the soda ash mining project, a large portion of highly skilled positions will likely be filled by outsiders. A few local communities may only benefit from low-skill, temporary labour, such as guards and gatekeepers, which doesn’t provide sustainable livelihoods.
Their message is clear: Lake Natron is vital for their livelihoods, their culture, and the future of the flamingos. The community wants sustainable development, such as successful tourism in Engaresero village, rather than soda mining that could destroy everything. The communities strongly support the Government of Tanzania through the Royal Tour campaign, led by President H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, which aims to attract tourists to Tanzania and generate sustainable income for the communities, the government, and the private sector.
The communities of Lake Natron stand firm in their belief that Natron’s future lies in conservation, not destruction, and they call upon all stakeholders to support a path that respects both nature and tradition.
