Human impact on lake ecosystems: the case of Lake Naivasha, Kenya
Date
2007Author
Otiang'a-Owiti, George E
Oswe, Ignatius Abiya
Type
ArticleLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Lake Naivasha is a wetland of national and international importance. However, it is under constant anthropogenic pressures, which
include the quest for socioeconomic development within the lake ecosystem itself as well as other activities within the catchment.
The lake is an important source of fresh water in an otherwise water-deficient zone. It supports a thriving fishery, an extensive
flower-growing industry and geothermal power generation. It is home to a wide range of aquatic and terrestrial flora and fauna,
including vegetation, birds, fish and mammals. The adjacent area is ideal for horticulture, which plays a crucial role in the
development of both the local and national economy, providing employment to more than 30 000 people. The Lake Naivasha area
produces up to 70% of Kenya’s total horticultural output and contributes significant foreign exchange to the national economy.
However, the lake and its surrounding areas are fragile ecosystems that face increasing threats from irrigated agriculture, water
abstraction, the fast-growing Naivasha Township, and human population growth throughout the basin. Agricultural and livestock
farming activities within the 3 376km2 catchment area are also a threat to the lake ecosystem. This paper reviews some of the
adverse socioeconomic activities that exert pressure on the lake, as well as bioindicator data that may be useful in assessing the
overall quality of the lake as an important wetland ecosystem.
URI
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.2989/AJAS.2007.32.1.11.148http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/37399
Citation
African Journal of Aquatic Science 2007, 32(1): 79–88Publisher
College of Biological Sciences, University of Nairobi