Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley

• Governance
• Housing
• Major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure
• Management systems/ management plan
• Renewable energy facilities (issue resolved)

Total amount granted: USD 17,283 from UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa (2015-2016)

On 25 March 2022, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1060/documents/ and reporting as follows:

• Lake levels continue to rise in all three components of the property. In response, in 2020 a national multi-agency technical team was set up including UNDP, USAID and UNESCO, to conduct a detailed study on the resulting impacts;
• According to the study, available online at http://www.environment.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/MENR_Scoping_Report_Latest-5-07-21.pdf, the rising water levels are attributed mainly to increased rainfall in the region related to changing weather patterns, exacerbated by land use change and degradation in the water basins. Possible links to geological changes remain poorly understood;
• In addition to socio-economic impacts, loss of lives and livelihoods and infrastructure damage, riparian vegetation is being lost and lake salinity and pH levels are dropping, leading to impacts on biodiversity, including reducing populations of Lesser Flamingo;
• The flooding of the Nakuru sewage facility resulted in untreated sewage leaking into the lake and adversely affecting its water quality;
• The study recommends a list of short, medium and long-term actions, including relocating and rehabilitating sewage treatment plants, mapping and beaconing of the riparian land to reflect the new lake levels, setting up buffer zones as well as putting in place a monitoring system. The study also recommends finalizing the National Lake Basin Management Strategy to guide sustainable and coordinated management of the basin resources, as well as developing climate resilient County Spatial Plans to delineate the new high-water marks and direct land use. Funds are being sought to implement these recommendations;
• The Lake Bogoria National Reserve Management Plan is being implemented by the County government of Baringo, in close collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Service. Rising lake levels have impacted the zonation scheme, which will be reviewed once the lake levels subside and as the infrastructure is being rehabilitated;
• The State Party has initiated discussions between the stakeholders, landowners, and rightsholders of the land between Lakes Nakuru and Naivasha to explore the possibilities of securing a corridor between the two lakes. A draft concept was prepared using government land in the form of wayleaves along an existing pipeline and powerline connecting the lakes;
• A meeting held in January 2020 in Naivasha has discussed and agreed upon the coordinated management system for the three components of the property;
• The Olkaria-Lessos-Kisumu powerline which was constructed is now energized and the State Party is implementing the monitoring programme as recommended by the Joint multi-agency report.

The continuous water level rise in all lakes of the property is of great concern as it has adverse socio-economic impacts, alters the lake boundaries for management, lowers the pH and salinity of the lakes and negatively affects biodiversity. In particular, the decrease in population of Lesser Flamingos, a key attribute of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property is of utmost concern. It is recommended that the States Parties of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania are encouraged to undertake a joint survey in the East African Rift and develop a Lesser Flamingo Action Plan for the region, with cooperation of the IUCN/SSC-Flamingo Specialist Group. At the time of inscription, the World Heritage Committee encouraged the States Parties of Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania, as well as other relevant States Parties, to cooperate regarding the effective conservation of Lake Natron and other lakes in the region, and to consider further potential serial extensions as part of a potential transnational serial property.

It is concerning that the water level scoping report notes that while the cause of the lake level rise appears largely to be due to climate change, the problem is also exacerbated by land use change and practices in the lake basin which cause increasing run off and thus larger volumes of water flowing into the lakes. The recommendations of the scoping report including the mapping of the riparian zones and relocation or rehabilitation of the sewage treatment plants, raising awareness of the impacts of climate change as well as the establishment of buffer zones should be implemented ; while at the same time urgent action needs to be undertaken to address, in close collaboration with local communities, deforestation and land degradation in the basin and especially in the Mau escarpment, as already recommended at the time of inscription.

The State Party’s engagement with stakeholders, landowners and rightsholders on the feasibility of securing a wildlife corridor between Lakes Nakuru and Naivasha is noted, although it is not explicit if this includes the corridor between Lakes Nakuru and Elementaita. It is recalled that at the time of inscription, there was an agreement in principle between the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Soysambu Conservancy to open a wildlife corridor between Lakes Nakuru and Elementaita, and that this was considered important to protect the ecological connectivity of these components. While proposing a wildlife corridor through existing wayleaves has its benefits, site selection and design should be based on an evaluation of the relevant needs of specific species to allow the potential corridor to accommodate movement of each target species. This should be accompanied by a suitable monitoring programme to assess the effectiveness of the corridor. It is recommended that the State Party provide more information on this proposal and that the Committee reiterate its request to the State Party to consider the possible extension and formalization of the buffer zone to restore connectivity and further strengthen protection.

Regrettably, no details of the January 2020 meeting on the coordinated management system of the three components of the property are given, such as the main conclusions, decisions or who was consulted.

It is noted that the zonation scheme will be revised once the lake levels subside and as the infrastructure is being rehabilitated, however, the State Party should be reminded of past Committee Decisions (39 COM 7B.5, and 41 COM 7B.21) to develop and implement clear and strict regulations, in collaboration with all stakeholders and rightsholders, to prohibit any development in close proximity to sensitive areas that could affect the OUV of the property.

It is regrettable that the State Party has provided no information regarding the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) mission planned since 2020 and has instead proceeded with energizing the Olkaria-Lessos-Kisumu Powerline which passes along Lake Elementaita and which could cause further bird mortalities, including of the Lesser Flamingo. It is recommended that the State Party provides an update on the AEWA mission including its recommendations if available, monitor bird mortalities along the powerline and to report on mitigation measures and their effectiveness to limit bird mortality.