Paul Redfern
12 May 2008
Nairobi — Conservationists say that the offer by Indian industrial giant Tata Chemicals to move a proposed soda-ash plant 35 kilometres away from Lake Natron in northern Tanzania will still devastate flamingo numbers on the lake.
"The landscape will be destroyed," Ken Mwathe of Birdlife Africa told the Independent newspaper of the UK. "It doesn't matter where the actual factory is - they will still be taking the soda ash from the lake."
The particular threat from the proposed soda ash plant is to the lesser flamingo and critics point out that since a similar plant was established on Lake Magadi in Kenya, flamingos have virtually stopped breeding there.
Britain's Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Africa officer Dr Chris Magin has described the plans as "bonkers" and warned it could drive one of the world's rarest birds to extinction.
Tata are at the forefront of India's economic push in Africa and already run a number of businesses across the East African region including a coffee processing plant in Uganda, a vehicle assembly plant in Kenya and the Magadi Soda Factory on Lake Magadi, around 40km north of Lake Natron.
This plant, which was bought from Brunner Mond in 2005, already produces some three million tonnes of soda ash per year.
Tata say that Lake Natron is one of the world's few natural sources of soda ash, which in most places is produced chemically. The company also says it has commissioned a consulting firm to conduct an environmental and social assessment study at Lake Natron.
The company plans to extract around 500,000 tonnes of soda ash or sodium carbonate a year and will build a coal-fired power station as well as facilities for 1,200 workers at the site.
"The chances of lesser flamingoes continuing to breed at Lake Natron in the face of such mayhem are next to zero," Dr Magin told the Guardian recently.
Lake Natron has been the only breeding site for lesser flamingoes in Africa for 45 years. Each summer 500,000 flamingos fly to the lake to nest, a natural phenomenon that attracts tourists from all over the world.
The flamingoes congregate at Lake Natron because of the abundance of cyanobacteria, created by the high salt concentrations in the lake. The flamingoes feed on the bacteria but also feel safe at the lake because its harsh environment and high temperature means there are few predators.
"We are not against development but companies and governments need to look at all the options before a project of this sort goes ahead," Dr Magin said. "If not the damage maybe irreversible."
The issue is said to have split Tanzanians, many of whom would welcome such a development in an economically poor area.
The Tanzanian National Development Corporation has rubbished the critics claims saying the flamingoes will not be affected.
The breeding ground for the flamingos is on the other side of the lake," Hamid Bisanga said. "We are being careful not to disturb the birds."
The Independent said that the argument was similar to the one over the future of the Tana Delta, Kenya's most important wetland where a sugar plantation is proposed.
Here again critics say the proposal would devastate an important wildlife habitat that is home to hippos, crocodiles, lions and more than 300 species of bird.
"It is the responsibility of the government to bring development to its people but it needs to be done in a careful way that doesn't exploit our natural resources," Mr Mwathe said. "If we damage Lake Natron today, we damage the Tana Delta tomorrow and Mabira Forest (in Uganda) the day after..."
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