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NatureSeverity: High

Lake Turkana under pressure

The world's largest desert lake depends on inflow from Ethiopia's Omo River, which has been altered by dams and irrigation.

Northern Kenya · Kenya

01 · The problem

What is happening

Lake Turkana is fed mainly by the Omo River from Ethiopia. The construction of the Gibe III dam and associated irrigated agriculture in the lower Omo valley changed the river's flow regime. UNESCO's World Heritage Committee added the Lake Turkana National Parks to the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2018, citing the potential effects of upstream development on the lake's water levels and ecosystem, which support fisheries and pastoralist communities.

High severity. Serious, widespread effects requiring sustained action. Severity is descriptive editorial metadata summarising documented effects. It is not a measured index or a score.

02 · Causes

Why it is happening

  1. 01

    Upstream dams

    Regulation of the Omo River alters the seasonal flood pulse that sustains the lake.

  2. 02

    Irrigation abstraction

    Large-scale plantations in the lower Omo valley withdraw water.

  3. 03

    Climate variability

    High evaporation and variable rainfall affect lake levels.

03 · Impacts

Who and what it affects

  1. 01

    Fisheries livelihoods at risk

    Changes in flow and salinity can affect fish breeding and catches.

  2. 02

    Pressure on World Heritage values

    Habitat for crocodiles, hippos and birds may be affected.

  3. 03

    Livelihood and resource conflict

    Reduced resources can heighten tensions among communities.

04 · Solutions

Documented approaches

  1. Transboundary water cooperation

    Joint monitoring and agreements between Kenya and Ethiopia.

    Expected effectCould help maintain environmental flows to the lake.

  2. Environmental flow releases

    Planned dam releases that mimic natural flooding.

    Expected effectSupports ecological processes downstream.

  3. Protected area management

    Management of Sibiloi, Central Island and South Island national parks.

    Expected effectProtects key habitats.

Explore an illustrative What-If

05 · Key indicators

What can be measured

No reliable quantitative indicator is included for this issue. TerraLens shows figures only where a credible source supports them — consult the sources below for current data.

06 · Sources

Where this comes from

  1. [1]Lake Turkana National Parks — World Heritage ListUNESCO World Heritage Centrewhc.unesco.org(opens in a new tab)
  2. [2]Kenya Wildlife ServiceGovernment of Kenyakws.go.ke(opens in a new tab)

Links open the publishing organisation's site. Some point to the publisher's main page, where the named report or dataset can be found.

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