Soda ash mining in lake Natron: a reap or ruin for Tanzania?
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Date
2014
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Sciknow
Abstract
The XI/22 decisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at its eleventh Conference of Parties invite
parties to integrate the three objectives of the CBD into sustainable development and poverty eradication programs, plans, pol-
icies, and priority actions, taking into account the outcomes of the Rio+20 Conference. Based on this ground a Cost Benefit
Analysis (CBA) of a proposed new development (establishment of soda ash facility) in the Lake Natron area in Tanzania was
carried out to inform decision regarding the proposal. The costs and benefits of this project were compared with that of two other
alternatives namely the ―Business as Usual‖ (BAU) and ―Sustainable Ecotourism‖ (SE). The results of analysis showed that at
the present levels of soda ash prices and investment costs the benefits of ecosystem conservation outweigh the benefits of soda
ash mining. We furthermore argue that Lake Natron is part of an important network of ecosystems and should not be viewed as a
separate entity altogether. The Lake’s ecosystem needs to be managed wisely by introducing only livelihood initiatives or de-
velopments that are linked to the survival of wildlife which it supports, including the lesser flamingo. Sustainable ecotourism is
one of such initiatives. Its benefits spill over beyond the local and national boundaries to beneficiaries at regional and interna-
tional levels. We therefore underscore the needs for different stakeholders to share the costs of developing a sustainable
eco-tourism industry in the Lake Natron ecosystem. This can be achieved through negotiations with regional and global partners
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Keywords
Soda Ash Mining, Economic Development, Biodiversity Conservation, Lake Natron Area, Cost Benefit Analysis