By Bisola Adeyemo
United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) predicts a far wetter future for the drying up of Lake Turkana located in the northern part of Kenya, with the possibility of a more perilous one for the 15 million people who live on its shores.
Its main river inflows had been muffled by dams and many feared water levels were poised to drop by two-thirds, causing the lake to cleave into two smaller bodies of water. It was, one report said , an African “ Aral Sea disaster in the making” – where only 10 per cent remains of the original sea.
According to the new study from UNEP, the report found that over the next 20 years, climate change could likely lead to heavier rains over Lake Turkana’s river inflows, which would raise water levels in the lake itself and increase the likelihood of severe flooding.
The study urged officials in Kenya and Ethiopia, which shares border with Lake Turkana, to prepare for a future in which once-rare floods, such as those that hit the region in 2019 and 2020, are regular occurrences.
Frank Turyatunga, Deputy Head of UNEP’s Africa Office, said, “Many people think that climate change is a problem for the future,” “But as Lake Turkana shows, it’s happening now and it’s already forcing people to adapt to new conditions.”
Lake Turkana, the world’s largest desert lake, is part of the Omo-Turkana basin, which stretches into four countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda. The basin is home to many rare plants and animals.
Kbc.co.ke reported that Since 1988, Ethiopia has built a series of hydroelectric dams on its main tributary, the Omo River, leading to predictions of Lake Turkana’s demise.
The report called for improved international cooperation and adaptation measures, including reforestation, agroforestry and avoiding construction in areas at risk of flooding.