Towards the sustainability of the Lake Naivasha Ramsar site and its catchment

Abstract

Sustainable development remains a pressing priority for the Lake Naivasha Ramsar site, as a matter both of long-term protection of the lake ecosystem and of the economic and social progress that depends upon it. This must be addressed at catchment-scale to protect the `ecosystem services' that constitute the region's primary resources. Sustainability principles highlight energy, fertilisers, pesticides and other aspects of chemical use, plastics, erosion and sedimentation, wildlife, water and socio-economic issues as central to sustainable development strategy, influenced by both intensive and subsistence farms across the catchment. Market forces and long-term self-interest provide compelling arguments for sustainable development, the delivery of which will depend upon education and the spreading of good practice, perhaps backed up by stewardship schemes. Alternatively, the adverse consequences of continued unsustainable practice are highly significant for the region.