Tanzania blocks soda ash mining at Lake Natron
The government of Tanzania has blocked plans for a large-scale soda ash extraction facility at Lake Natron, one of East Africa’s most ecologically important wetlands. Deputy Minister for Minerals Stephen Kiruswa announced in August 2025 that no licence would be issued for industrial mining, limiting activity to small-scale, traditional soda ash collection along the shoreline.
Lake Natron, a Ramsar site since 2001, lies in northern Tanzania’s drylands and is the only reliable breeding ground for Lesser Flamingos in Africa, supporting up to 2.5 million birds—around 75% of the global population. More than 300 bird species, fish, algae, and vegetation also depend on its alkaline ecosystem.
Disruptions
Ngaresero Valley Company Ltd had proposed producing one million tonnes of soda ash annually, beginning with 660,000 tonnes of refined product. The project raised alarms over freshwater diversion, ecological disruption, and destruction of flamingo nesting grounds. Land demands of 45,000 hectares for pumps, pipelines, and a processing plant also threatened displacement. Community leaders in Engaresero, where tourism tied to flamingo colonies sustains schools and clinics, warned that mining would dismantle livelihoods and social stability.
Nature Tanzania stressed that diverting water from rivers such as the Ewaso Ng’iro would alter the lake’s chemistry, undermine ecological processes, and reduce tourism revenues. Unlike in 2006, when global campaigns stalled a similar plan, opposition in 2025 was driven from within. Nine villages organised 17 meetings under the slogan “Our Lake, Our Life,” rejecting industrial extraction as incompatible with cultural identity and survival.
While conservation groups welcomed the government’s decision, they cautioned that it remains provisional. Ongoing risks from climate change, flooding, and wider industrial expansion still threaten the lake. For now, however, Natron’s ecological and cultural integrity has been safeguarded, preserving both flamingo populations and community livelihoods.
