Kenyan lake system in the Great Rift Valley
| Kenyan lake system in the Great Rift Valley | |
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UNESCO world heritage 
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| The Nakuru lake |
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| National territory: |
 Kenya
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| Type: | nature |
| Criteria : | vii, ix, x |
| Surface: | 32,034 ha |
| Reference No .: | 1060 |
| UNESCO region : | Africa |
| History of enrollment | |
| Enrollment: | 2011 (session 35) |
The Kenyan lake system in the Great Rift Valley is an area characterized by three lakes, which lies in Kenya in the area of the great African rift valley . It was in 2011 as a UNESCO - World Heritage recognized. It consists of three alkaline soda lakes : Lake Bogoria , Lake Elmenteita and Lake Nakuru . The landscape around the lakes with hot springs and geysers is characterized by volcanic activity and tectonic shifts .
geography
The Kenyan lake system is part of a chain of lakes that runs along the great African rift valley in a north-south direction through the western part of Kenya and across the equator . Two of the lakes are in Nakuru County , and Lake Bogoria is in Baringo County .
It shows a diverse landscape that is described as exceptionally beautiful in the description of UNESCO. In addition to steep slopes with waterfalls, there are open bodies of water, swamp areas, forests and open grasslands. Characteristics of different geological processes can be observed in a small space , such as the edge of the great rift, volcanic cones, fumaroles , hot springs and geysers .
fauna
The three lakes and their surroundings are mainly known for the bird life that lives or passes through them. In the Kenyan lake system, for example, there are notable occurrences of the black-necked grebe , the narrow-beaked spoonbill , the avocet , the little grebe , the very hungry , the stilt , the gray-headed gull and the salmon tern . There have been reports of up to 480 different bird species on Lake Nakura, up to 450 on Lake Elmentaita, and up to 370 on Lake Bogoria. These include species threatened with extinction worldwide or regionally. The lakes are an important feeding area for Lesser Flamingos , which can be seen in large flocks of up to four million birds and feed on the spirulina algae found in the lakes . For the great white pelican , the area around Lake Elementaita is an important breeding ground; up to 8000 breeding pairs were counted there. On mammals especially in the are national parks occurring around the Bogoria- and Nukurasee rhino , buffalo , Rothschild giraffes , lions and leopards worth mentioning.
Danger
The ecosystem around the lakes is threatened by tourist and agricultural use. This use is sometimes illegal, but is rarely prosecuted. Illegal developments are not being dismantled and there are no measures to restore the natural state. In 2017, the government of Kenya was therefore asked by UNESCO to step up its efforts to protect the area.
Web links
- Kenyan lake system in the Great Rift Valley on the UNESCO World Heritage Center website ( English and French ).
Individual evidence
- ↑ UNESCO World Heritage Center: Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley. Retrieved December 8, 2018 .
- ↑ UNESCO World Heritage Center: Natural Properties - Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley (Kenya). Retrieved December 8, 2018 .
- ↑ KENYA LAKE SYSTEM IN THE GREAT RIFT VALLEY. Natural world heritage sites, accessed December 19, 2018 .
- ↑ KENYA LAKE SYSTEM IN THE GREAT RIFT VALLEY (KENYA). African World Heritage, accessed December 8, 2018 .
- ↑ UNESCO World Heritage Center: State of Conservation. Retrieved December 8, 2018 .
Heritage: Lamu Old Town (2001) | Sacred Kaya Forests of Mijikenda (2008) | Fort Jesus in Mombasa (2011) | Archaeological site Thimlich Ohinga (2018)
Natural heritage: Mount Kenya National Park and Natural Forest (1997) | National parks on Lake Turkana (1997) | Kenyan lake system in the Great Rift Valley (2011)