Lake Natron: Location, Features, Wildlife and Ecological Significance

Lake Natron in Tanzania is a unique alkaline lake known for its red waters, mineral deposits, flamingo breeding grounds, and extreme ecological conditions.

Context: The Tanzanian government has halted a proposed large-scale soda ash mining project at Lake Natron, citing ecological risks to the Lesser Flamingos.

About Lake Natron

Location: Northern Tanzania, near the border with Kenya; it lies in the Great Rift Valley.
Type: A salt lake (alkaline lake) with highly caustic, soda-rich waters
Declared a Ramsar Site of International Importance in 2001.
Protected under the East African Community Transboundary Ecosystem Management Act (2010).
75% of the population of the lesser Flamingo breeds at Lake Natron.

Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor)

Features: It is the smallest of all flamingos but has the largest population.
- It possesses the “hallux” or hind toe that some other flamingos do not have.
- Males are a little taller than females.
- Flamingos build mud cone nests on lake flats.
- It is serially monogamous, meaning they form pairs that remain together while they are raising the young.

Lesser Flamingo

Geographical distribution: Africa, Asia continents and especially Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, North Africa
- They mostly eat blue-green algae but occasionally will take crustaceans and small insects.
Conservation Status:
- CMS (Convention on Migratory Species): Included in Appendix II.
- Conservation Status (IUCN): Near Threatened (NT).