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Hydrological Impacts of Ethiopias Omo Basins Development on Kenyas Lake Turkana

Authored by Brad Czerniak
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Lake Turkana is Kenya's largest lake, renowned as the worlds largest desert lake, with 90% of the lakes inflow provided by Ethiopia's second largest river system, the Omo Basin. The natural hydrological cycle of the Omo / Turkana ecosystem is being dampened by a cascade of major hydropower developments, and in addition, large-scale irrigation plantations downstream will exploit the regulated river flow, and thereby deplete the natural river inflows to the lake. Local people utilize the lake resources, living in harsh conditions. The Lakes desert margins include the only archaeological conservation area in Kenya, gazetted as a National Park (on the NE shore). Southern parts of the lake fall within the Mount Kulal Biosphere Reserve, listed in the UNESCO Biosphere Directory. Lake Turkana National Parks are a listed World Heritage site. Ethiopias huge Gibe III hydropower dam started impounding its huge reservoir in early 2015. Over 30,000 hectares have been cleared downstream in the Lower Omo for sugar plantation, and at least 100,000 hectares are planned. The lake level has already fallen two metres, and the local fishing industry has already suffered the consequences. The lakes hydrological history will be described, and the recent hydrological changes and the physical impacts will be presented. This lake has been likened to an African Aral Sea in the making.

Resource Type
Report
Theme
Balancing Conservation and Development
Geography
Ethiopia
Kenya
Lake Turkana
Publication Date
May 1 2017
Tag
African Great Lakes Conference
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The Nexus of Dam Construction, Oil Exploration, and Resource Use Conflicts: Vulnerability of Fishing Communities in Lake Turkana, Kenya

Report
Authored by Brad Czerniak

Lake Turkana is a transboundary resource, spanning the borders of Kenya and Ethiopia. The lakes importance to the well-being of local communities and national governments is not well documented compared to other Great Lakes of Africa. The lake basin is experiencing accelerated anthropogenic activities including construction of cascading dams and large scale irrigation projects along River Omo; oil discovery and ongoing exploration; associated resource use conflicts and construction of Africas largest wind power plant and episodic climatic changes.

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A Century of Rainfall Variability and Recent Change in the African Great Lakes Region

Report
Authored by Evans A.K. Miriti

The Great Lakes of Africa help to sustain the economies of several East African nations. Changes in the condition of these lakes is of great concern. The objective of this research was to examine long-term variations of precipitation in the Great Lakes region. Rainfall over the catchment was assessed for Lakes Albert, Edward, Kivu, Malawi, Tanganyika, Turkana, and Victoria, using gauge data. In most cases over 100 years of record are available. Assessments were also made for the region as a whole. TRMM satellite estimates of precipitation were also used to examine the years since 1998.

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The Utility of the Integrated Lake Basin Management (ILBM) Approach: A Case Study of Kenya's Internal and Transboundary Lakes

Report
Authored by Evans A.K. Miriti

The East African Rift System defines the setting of most of Kenya's important internal (e.g., Lakes Nakuru, Naivasha, Baringo, Bogoria) and transboundary (e.g., Lakes Turkana, Victoria) lake basins. The lakes support ecosystems that are rich in birdlife, wildlife and aquatic macrophyte species, but the influent rivers have low species diversity. The lakes and rivers are valuable to the area inhabitants as they provide water and food for humans and livestock, food and nutrition from fisheries, materials for building and weaving, tourism and recreational services, and have aesthetic values.

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From Fishing Rights to Human Rights in the Lives and Livelihoods of Women Fishers in the Great Lakes Region

Report
Authored by Brad Czerniak

This research project analyzes gender-based violence in cross-border fish trade in the GLR using a human rights perspective. A human rights perspective provides an understanding of the socio-economic conditions facing women fishers in the GLR. Expanding on established research on fishing rights of marginalized people, this analysis highlights human rights issues that have been less documented: gender-based cross-border violence and threats to personal security in the GLR.

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Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported Fishing on Africas Great Lakes

Report
Authored by Brad Czerniak

Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing has been reported in many publications;_this_research project_provides an overview of the extent of IUU fishing on the African Great Lakes. Stock has been taken of fisheries regulations and legislations in the riparian countries to understand the diversity of the interpretation of illegal fishing operations. A summary has been presented of the regulations governing the target species of the different fisheries.

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Lake Level Fluctuations, Ecological Attributes and Fish Productivity in African Lakes and Reservoirs

Report
Authored by Brad Czerniak

Hydrological regimes, including inter- and intra-annual water level fluctuations, are key drivers of productivity and structure in freshwater ecosystems in Africa, where inland fisheries are a vital source of income and protein. Using a synthesis of seventeen standardized food web models of thirteen African lakes and reservoirs, this study explored the relationship between inter- and intra-annual water level fluctuations and sixteen ecological attributes associated with ecosystem configuration, productivity and maturity.

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The Importance of Monitoring the Great Lakes to Assess any Change in the Extent of Water-Related Ecosystems Over Time (Sustainable Development Goal Indicator 6.6.1)

Report
Authored by Brad Czerniak

Indicator 6.6.1 tracks changes over time in the extent of water-related ecosystems. It uses the imminent date of 2020 in order to align with the Aichi Targets of the Convention of Biodiversity, but will continue beyond that date to align with the rest of the SDG Targets set at 2030. Whereas all ecosystems depend on water, some ecosystems play a more prominent role in the provision of water-related services to society. Consequently, one of the focuses for global monitoring of this indicator is lakes.

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What Is Population, Health, and the Environment and Why Is It Relevant for the Africa Great Lakes Region?

Report
Authored by Brad Czerniak

Population, Health, and the Environment (PHE) is a community-based development model that uses integrated approaches to improve access to health services, especially family planning and reproductive health, while helping communities manage natural resources and conserve the critical ecosystems on which they depend. PHE is a last mile approach that reaches vulnerable populations in rural areas that are typically beyond the reach of government services and large-scale development projects. For over two decades, diverse organizations around the world have carried out PHE projects.

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Development of Best Practices for Cage Fish Farming to Increase Fish Production

Report
Authored by Brad Czerniak

Cage fish farming is growing fish in net enclosures suspended in water at high density in low volume (LVHD) or low density in high volume (HVLD) cages while maintaining free water exchange between the enclosure and the water body. Cage fish farming has increased in the African Great Lakes (AGL) region, since the beginning of the 21st century and has in less than 20 years, demonstrated capacity to increase fish production to more than 40 kg m-3 compared to ~5 kg m-3 from ponds which started more than 60 years ago.

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