Tracing the Possible Root Causes for Fleeing Flamingos in Kenya’s Lake Nakuru National Park

Abstract

A Fishbone diagram was used to identify possible root causes for the diminishing number of flamingos in Kenya’s Lake Nakuru by analyzing twelve authenticated articles published in 2007. Human activities at the lake’s catchment area particularly deforestation was found to be the major cause for the flamingo situation in the lake. Wanton destruction of vegetation at the Mau Forest Complex has caused rivers to dry up, therefore reducing the inflow of water into the lake. Due to negligible monetary benefits from tourism trickling down to host communities in Kenya, the poor population in Nakuru’s upstream strives to make ends meet through agriculture and exploitation of forest products, unaware of the detrimental impacts of their actions on the flamingos downstream that attracts over 200,000 tourists annually. This necessitates adoption of an integrated, sustainable development approach in planning and management of the resources.

Keywords: Lake Nakuru; Tourism; Fleeing Flamingos; Sustainable development; Deforestation; Climate change; Pollution