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Currently a group of more than fifty East
African conservation and environmental institutions are running a worldwide campaign to stop the planned construction of the soda ash factory by Tata Chemicals Ltd of Mumbai, India and National Development Corporation of Tanzania. The group working under the umbrella name Lake Natron Consultative Group is being co-ordinated by Ken Mwathe, Conservation Programme Manager at
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development. However, lack of a general management plan, inadequate funding at the operational level, lack of mechanisms to secure a fair distribution of ecotourism benefits, and poorly developed tourism infrastructural facilities to support diverse segments of tourists were identified as the main
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international officer for Africa, "The chance of the lesser flamingoes continuing to breed in the face of such mayhem are next to zero. This development will leave lesser flamingoes in East Africa facing extinction". Seventy-five percent of the world's lesser flamingoes are born on Lake Natron.
544:
plant on its shores. The plant would pump water from the lake and extract the sodium carbonate to convert to washing powder for export. Accompanying the plant would be housing for over 1000 workers, and a coal-fired power station to provide energy for the plant complex. In addition, there is a
564:
As per communication in June 2008, Tata
Chemicals shall not proceed with the Natron Project and further re-examination of this project will be subject to the Ramsar Wetlands plan, which is currently under preparation.
537:. Although development plans include constructions of a dike at the north end of the lake to contain the freshwater, the threat of dilution to this breeding ground may still be serious. There is no formal protection.
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is not inhabited but there is some herding and some seasonal cultivation. Threats to the salinity balance from increased siltation influxes will come from more projected logging in Natron watersheds and a planned
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as plants do. The red accessory photosynthesizing pigment in the cyanobacteria produces the deep reds of the open water of the lake and the orange colours of the shallow parts of the lake. The
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Most animals find the lake's high temperature (up to 60 °C ) and its high and variable salt content inhospitable. Nonetheless, Lake Natron is home to some
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challenges associated with the management of ecotourism in the area. The lake can also be accessed from
Shompole Conservancy
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rates occur. As water evaporates during the dry season, salinity levels increase to the point that salt-loving
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can also be seen. Numerous near-white salt-crust "rafts" pepper the shallowest parts of the lake (inset).
876:, Geotechnologies and the Environment, vol. 22, Springer International Publishing, pp. 75–90,
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Shoo, Rehema Abeli (2020), "Ecotourism
Potential and Challenges at Lake Natron Ramsar Site, Tanzania",
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753:, editor-in-chief Joshua S. Lederberg, Academic Press, 2010, page 129, accessed 24 November 2014
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452:(a blue-green algae with red pigments). Lake Natron is a safe breeding location because its
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wetland of international significance. It is the only regular breeding area for Africa's
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of greater than 12. The surrounding bedrock is composed of alkaline, sodium-dominated
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There are a number of campgrounds near the lake, which is also the base for climbing
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and freshwater wetlands around the edges of the lake do support a variety of plants.
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The lake is the only regular breeding area in East Africa for the 2.5 million
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Because of its unique biodiversity, Tanzania named the Lake Natron Basin to the
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salt crust on the surface of the lake is also often coloured red or pink by the
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levels. This has allowed the lake to concentrate into a caustic alkaline brine.
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592:. Lake Natron has immense tourist attraction potentials that are important for
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814:"The Deadly Lake Where 75 Percent of the World's Lesser Flamingoes Are Born"
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334:(sodium sesquicarbonate dihydrate). The alkalinity of the lake can reach a
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NBC article about Nick Brandt's photos of petrified animals at Natron lake
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749:"Alkaline Environments", authored by W. D. Grant and B. E. Jones, in
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The colour of the lake is characteristic of those where very high
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701:"Eastern Africa: Northern Tanzania, on the border with Kenya"
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A new threat to Lake Natron is the proposed development of a
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the bodies of any living thing that died in the lake.
30:"Medusa Lake" redirects here. Not to be confused with
766:"This Alkaline African Lake Turns Animals into Stone"
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Ramsar List of
Wetlands of International Importance
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545:possibility the developers may introduce a hybrid
460:trying to reach their nests on seasonally forming
361:The chemical properties of the water are known to
513:is also present in the lake, but is not endemic.
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841:"Position Statement on the Lake Natron Project"
846:. Tata Chemicals. 13 June 2008. Archived from
346:period. The lavas have significant amounts of
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475:The lake has inspired the nature documentary
8:
322:High levels of evaporation have left behind
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670:The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos
549:to increase the efficiency of extraction.
478:The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos
53:The lake on 6 March 2017 (satellite image)
38:
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533:on the Ewaso Nyiro across the border in
244:The southern half of Lake Natron (top).
27:Alkaline lake in Arusha Region, Tanzania
1443:Paleontological and archeological sites
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485:, for its close relationship with the
1521:Saline lakes of the Great Rift Valley
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572:on 4 July 2001. The lake is also the
489:as their only regular breeding area.
342:lavas that were laid down during the
287:, which is the eastern branch of the
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7:
913:Think Pink – Save Africa's Flamingos
874:Protected Areas in Northern Tanzania
311:This lake is fed principally by the
792:"The Bizarre Medusa Lake of Africa"
764:Joseph Stromberg (2 October 2013).
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812:Billock, Jennifer (14 June 2016).
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456:environment is a barrier against
1536:Important Bird Areas of Tanzania
790:Swancer, Brent (20 April 2015).
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616:Lake Natron as seen on NASA's
552:According to Chris Magin, the
492:Two endemic fish species, the
389:that make their own food with
315:River, which rises in central
1:
1358:Mount Kipipiri Forest Reserve
1348:Lake Bogoria National Reserve
1338:Kerio Valley National Reserve
88:
1378:Mount Longonot National Park
751:Encyclopedia of Microbiology
1368:Lake Naivasha National Park
882:10.1007/978-3-030-43302-4_6
1552:
1526:Geography of Arusha Region
1363:Kigio Wildlife Conservancy
1343:Lake Baringo National Park
950:"East African halophytics"
929:Earth Observatory Newsroom
187:600 metres (2,000 ft)
29:
1373:Hell's Gate National Park
1353:Lake Nakuru National Park
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729:Sites Information Service
576:East African halophytics
291:. The lake is within the
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1516:Ramsar sites in Tanzania
1095:Great Rift Valley, Kenya
517:Threats and preservation
32:Medusa Lake (Antarctica)
1383:Mount Suswa Conservancy
924:"Lake Natron, Tanzania"
561:'s Africa Secretariat.
385:organisms include some
956:. World Wildlife Fund.
954:Terrestrial Ecoregions
559:BirdLife International
381:begin to thrive. Such
267:lake located in north
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1531:Southern Eastern Rift
1322:Southern Ewaso Ng'iro
1168:Hills and escarpments
650:seen from Lake Natron
313:Southern Ewaso Ng'iro
243:
1388:Shompole Conservancy
770:Smithsonian Magazine
521:The area around the
498:Alcolapia latilabris
1185:Nguruman Escarpment
722:"Lake Natron Basin"
705:World Wildlife Fund
574:World Wildlife Fund
279:at the border with
269:Ngorongoro District
135: /
94:Ngorongoro District
1331:Conservation areas
1190:Losiolo Escarpment
468:also breed on the
466:Greater flamingoes
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223:Reference no.
1511:Lakes of Tanzania
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1175:Elgeyo Escarpment
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992:Lakes of Tanzania
936:on 1 October 2006
891:978-3-030-43301-7
853:on 5 October 2013
665:Rift Valley lakes
584:Visiting the area
494:alkaline tilapias
487:Lesser flamingoes
442:increases, so do
436:lesser flamingoes
404:that live there.
330:decahydrate) and
301:lesser flamingoes
293:Lake Natron Basin
289:East African Rift
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209:Lake Natron Basin
184:Surface elevation
18:Lake Natron Basin
16:(Redirected from
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328:sodium carbonate
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938:. Retrieved
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732:. Retrieved
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547:brine shrimp
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504:A. ndalalani
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406:Salt marshes
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246:Fault scarps
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1455:Aiyangiyang
1200:Ngong Hills
1159:Mount Suswa
819:Smithsonian
531:power plant
510:A. alcalica
375:evaporation
344:Pleistocene
297:Ramsar Site
257:Lake Natron
218:4 July 2001
142: /
117:Coordinates
78:Lake Natron
42:Lake Natron
1505:Categories
1470:Koobi Fora
1246:Elmenteita
1048:Tanganyika
676:References
618:World Wind
594:ecotourism
399:halophilic
307:Properties
215:Designated
1292:Ol Arabel
1102:Volcanoes
857:7 October
634:flamingos
578:ecoregion
523:salt lake
470:mud flats
464:islands.
462:evaporite
458:predators
449:Spirulina
383:halophile
356:magnesium
348:carbonate
156:Lake type
1480:Lothagam
1460:Amboseli
1429:Naivasha
1297:Perkerra
1251:Naivasha
1154:Longonot
1139:Menengai
1114:Namarunu
1053:Victoria
1003:Ambussel
940:17 April
734:25 April
659:See also
542:soda ash
440:salinity
340:trachyte
277:Tanzania
265:alkaline
248:and the
174:Tanzania
102:Tanzania
90:Location
1475:Laetoli
1414:Marigat
1409:Kinyang
1317:Turasha
1302:Waseges
1236:Bogoria
1231:Baringo
1221:Turkana
1149:Olkaria
1033:Manyara
825:17 June
620:program
454:caustic
418:endemic
363:calcify
352:calcium
130:36°00′E
127:02°25′S
1434:Magadi
1424:Gilgil
1419:Nakuru
1404:Kapedo
1312:Malewa
1307:Gilgil
1277:Suguta
1270:Rivers
1261:Natron
1256:Magadi
1241:Nakuru
1226:Logipi
1144:Eburru
1134:Korosi
1124:Silali
1038:Natron
1013:Burigi
1008:Babati
888:
797:1 June
775:11 May
727:Ramsar
554:RSPB's
427:, and
395:alkali
324:natron
161:saline
1465:Karsa
1282:Kerio
1214:Lakes
1043:Rukwa
1023:Eyasi
1018:Chala
851:(PDF)
844:(PDF)
599:Kenya
535:Kenya
429:birds
421:algae
412:Fauna
369:Flora
332:trona
317:Kenya
281:Kenya
259:is a
168:Basin
110:Kenya
1287:Molo
1129:Paka
1028:Jipe
942:2018
886:ISBN
859:2013
827:2016
799:2019
777:2023
736:2018
501:and
354:and
295:, a
261:salt
226:1080
878:doi
481:by
275:in
271:of
263:or
104:,
1507::
952:.
926:.
884:,
816:.
768:.
724:.
713:^
703:.
684:^
601:.
580:.
472:.
423:,
336:pH
108:,
100:,
96:,
1087:e
1080:t
1073:v
984:e
977:t
970:v
944:.
880::
861:.
829:.
801:.
779:.
738:.
707:.
326:(
34:.
20:)
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