Under pressure from environmental groups, the Tanzanian government seemed to have backed down, at least for now, from endorsing a proposed soda ash factory near Lake Natron in Arusha that could have threaten the survival of lesser flamingos.
Following a meeting last week between the Tanzanian ministry of environment, National Environmental Management Council (NEMC) and 14 environmental conservation groups, it has been reported that the soda ash project has been thrown out pending further environmental studies by the developer, Lake Natron Resources.
The developer was also told to look for alternative locations for the project. Majority of those who attended the meeting are said to have demanded that “the development should be rejected because of the risk of driving away the flamingos, harming other species and irreversibly damaging Lake Natron, which is protected by international law”. The light pink birds flock in their thousands to the lake from far-away places to breed every year. The flamingos are an important wildlife spectacle in the Great Rift Valley lakes in Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia.
Lake Natron Resources, a joint venture between National Development Corporation (NDC) and Tata Chemicals, a subsidiary of Indian conglomerate Tata Group, was planning a $400 USD investment to extract 500,000 tons of soda ash from the lake every year. Soda ash, or sodium carbonate, is an important ingredient in the making of glass, detergent, textile processing, metal refining, cosmetics, paper pulp and other industrial goods. On their corporate website, Tata Chemicals claims that they are recognized as “one of the most energy efficient and environmentally responsible companies in India.”
In the last few weeks, notable conservation groups such as Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania (WCST), BirdLife International and Royal Society for the Protection of Birds had vigorously campaigned against the project insisting that it will threaten the eco-system of the region. They said that drastic human activity on Lake Natron (which accounts for half a million or 75% of world lesser flamingos and is a critical breeding ground for these birds for the last 45 years), could lead to complete extinction of the birds by altering the alkaline lake’s chemical balance, destroying the spirulina, a type of bacteria on which the flamingos feed, giving them their distinct rose-pink plumage. It will also disrupt the lives surrounding of nomadic Masai communities.
According to The EastAfrican, the project would have involved pumping 100,000 litres of fresh water into the lake and 550,000 litres of brine (saltwater) from the area every hour, for the production of soda ash.
Initially, it was reported that the Tanzanian government had brushed away the environmental concerns over the project, emphasizing instead on the economic benefits of the project, such as a new access road, power plant, railroad, pipeline grid and later a pipeline for fresh water across the lake, houses for an estimated 1,225 construction workers and 152 permanent staff and their families.
The decision to stop this project on its track and reevaluate its environmental concerns is a crucial victory to all those who would like to see sustainability issues take center stage in investment decision making process.
What are your thoughts? Are you happy with the decision to stop this project or would you like it to proceed? Do you think the economic benefits of the project are more important that the environmental concerns?
November 13, 2007 at 2:36 pm
any new large project in theis age of drying water will be challenged by environmentalists.
November 14, 2007 at 3:15 am
I think it is a matter of when you want the benefits – short term or long term.
The Soda Ash factory would give a short term economic benefit, but the natural lake with its flamingos can contribute to long term economic development by supporting nature-based tourism and farming.
As Bankelele suggests, water resources are becoming increasingly important. Perhaps this lake will be even more valuable in years to come, so it would be unwise it limit that potential.
November 14, 2007 at 3:20 am
Rightfully so Bankelele!
November 14, 2007 at 3:39 am
Gillian
I agree with you. I also believe that any project that gives short-term economic benefits while posing significant environmental damage should never see the light of day. In such cases, alternative options and less invasive resource extraction methods must be considered.
Thank you for your contribution!
November 17, 2007 at 10:04 pm
I support view’s raised.
But I would like to see that the threats mentioned are clearly weighed out. I would not want to support issues on probable causes or results but rather with facts. So whether its economic benefits or environmental damages wananchi need to see the figures.
At times I feel like, there are issues that are pushed forward for the sake of supporting a stance from some vocal groups while rarely considering the constituency priorities.
January 15, 2008 at 11:34 am
I am ken Mwathe, I am the co-ordinator of Lake Natron Consultative Group, a coalition of 28 institutions that are opposing the construction of the soda ash plant. We placed an advert in the East African on 29th October 2007 and expressed our strong opposition to the project.
Now, the Minister of Tourism in Tanzania has said the project will go ahead. This is in The Citizen newspaper of 10th January.
The Government of Tanzania insists that it will go ahead with the proposed construction of the soda ash plant. The Minister in charge of Tourism and Natural Resources (Hon Jumanne Maghembe) was quoted January 10th 2007 saying “the benefits of undertaking the project to alleviate poverty outweighed demerits”. He further said “If they (Environmentalists) do not want us to carry out the project, then they should give us amounts equivalent to cash flows which we would get from the project yearly”. Hon Maghembe added a new angle to the project not heard before. He said that the soda ash will be transported through an underground route to Tanga!!
Our quick comments on the Ministers statement:
a. It is outside the Hon Minister’s jurisdiction to give the way forward on the proposed project. In law, the Minister for Environment in the Vice President’s Office (Rt. Hon Mark Mwandosya) has the final word. Rt. Hon Mwandosya has not made any public statement on the same in spite of receiving numerous letters from local, national and international organisations asking him to reject the soda ash project
b. The Minister seems unaware of the existence of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). He also seems unaware of the fact that a government agency (National Environment Management Authority – NEMC) declined to accept the project ESIA on 2nd November 2007. On what basis then, can the government proceed with the project?
c. The suggestion that the final product will be pumped through an underground route (to avoid disturbing the flamingos) is not practical. First, it would be too expensive and secondly, it would call for a fresh re-designing of the project. W
d. In spite of the above, as a Group, we can not ignore the comments by the Hon Minister. It may be an indirect way of the government giving its stand and we will soon make an appropriate response
Ken Mwathe
Ken Mwathe
For: Lake Natron Consultative Group
Birdlife Africa Partnership Secretariat
ICIPE Campus, Kasarani Road,
P.O Box 3502 – 00100 Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 20 8562246/8562490
Fax +254 20 8562259
Office cell +254 734 600905 or +254 722 200238
Personal Cell +254 733 926191
Email ken.mwathe@birdlife.or.ke
January 21, 2008 at 5:05 am
Ken
Thank you for visiting and for participating in the discussion.
I agree that your description of Minister Maghembe’s latest statements seem out of step with the outcome of the meeting I reported earlier. Was he also at the meeting? I think we have seen it many times when different Ministers make contradictory statements, some speaking without fully comprehending the weight of their statements. I suggest you find a clarification from Prof. Mwandosya before you make an appropriate response.
At any rate, I’m wondering under which conditions would this soda-ash project be acceptable to the environmentalists? How is Natron different (project wise from the Magadi project in Kenya?
January 25, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Comments by Steve Itela, Director Youth for Conservation (Kenya).
Decision makers (including environmentalist) must be guided by the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) Report. National Environment Management Council (NEMC) was created among other roles to ensure that there is minimal damage to the environment and where damage or impact is so severe, satisfactory measures are put in place to safeguard the environment from further degradation. It is important to note that the team of experts appointed by NEMC requested for detailed consulatative ESIA report.
Tanzania is a signantory to the Ramsar Convention and must ensure that the terms to the agreement are respected and implemented.
Check our website http://www.youthforconserevation.org to find out why Kenyans are opposed to proposed plant.
The Tanzania Government and the people of Tanzania should take this opportunity to visit Magadi Soda Company to assess the viability of the proposed project. Tata Chemicals a major sharehoder in Magadi Company has built a second prossesing plant on Lake Magadi but lack fresh water to run the plant effectively and effeciently.
Most of the issues raised by environmentalist are addressed in the ESIA report. It is proper for the proponents of this project to go back to the drawing board and conduct a detailed and consultative study.
January 25, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Correction in the last paragrahy.
Most of the issues raised by environmentalist are not addressed in the ESIA report. It is proper for the proponents of this project to go back to the drawing board and conduct a detailed and consultative study.
June 3, 2008 at 4:54 am
The latest on this issue has been the decision to move the project 32 km away from the initial proposed site. The govt still wants to continue with the project. See latest statements from the MD of NDC: http://allafrica.com/stories/200805290142.html
July 16, 2008 at 5:54 am
We the Lake Natron consultative Group fault the position taken by the National Develoment Corporation in their statement on Lake Natron.
NDC ignores the fact that their co-investor, Tata Chemicals Ltd has officially withdrawn the original soda ash proposal and are waiting for a management plan for Lake Natron Ramsar site to be developed. It does appear that NDC is now working on its own.
The issue of shifting the project 32 kms away does not arise at this point in time and is highly premature.
We also fault NDC’s arguments about the impacts of the project on people, Lesser Flamingos and the economy. The ESIA report commissioned by Tata and NDC showed the project will have many negative and significant impacts, some of which cannot be mitigated.
on the same note, the report does not indicate any tangible benefits for the local people and biodiversity at Lake Natron.
Above all, it is not for NDC to decide the fate of the soda ash project. As a player in the process, NDC should wait for decision to be made by the relevant authorities – in this case Tanzania’s Minister for Environment. NDC cannot be both a player and referee at the same time!
For a more comprehensive press statement on this matter get in touch with me on ken.mwathe@birdlife.or.ke
Ken Mwathe, Coordinator, Lake Natron COnsultative Group