Biodiversity of Kenya's coastal lakes

Abstract

Coastal lakes are ecosystems of significant value, which generate many ecological, social and economic benefits. In the Coastal region of Kenya, There are two major lakes, 1) Lake Jipe in Taita Taveta county is a small, shallow lake (area 28 Km2 and average depth of 3 m). It is 12 Km long and 2.5 Km wide. Tsavo West National Park borders the southern portion of the lake. The lake receives its main inflow via River Lumi and via river Muvulani from the Pare Mountains. The lake has one outflow, the river Ruvu, located in Pangani Tanzania. 2) Lake Kenyatta in Lamu County which is approximately 2.5 Km wide and approximately 10m average depth. These ecosystems are of significant value and generate the following ecological, social, and economic benefits: I. They form critical habitats for a wide range of floro and fauna, and are a source of water for human consumption, agriculture, and livestock use, II. They provide economic benefits from fisheries and other products such as fuelwood, building material, medicine, honey and various types of natural foods; III. They provide important grazing areas for livestock and wildlife; IV. They support ecosystem functions including flood control, water purification, shoreline stabilization and sequestration of carbon; V. They have scenic beauty for recreation and ecotourism. Lakes Jipe and Kenyatta ecosystems are facing numerous environmental and management challenges which are in turn affecting their biodiversity and ecosystem services. Several problems impact the lakes, including reduced runoff, lake recession, sedimentation, siltation, pollution. increased salinity, and accelerated weed invasion. Furthermore, the biodiversity and environmental dynamics of these lakes are poorly understood. Under the KCDP, biodiversity assessment and monitoring were carried out to: (i) determine trends and changes in the ecosystems with the aim of detecting possible threats to the lake ecosystems, (ii) identify degraded or threatened areas that can be targeted for rehabilitation and conservation programs; and (iii) Assess and identify potential areas where sustainable nature-based enterprises can be established for enhanced community livelihoods.