Water level fluctuations in Lake Baringo, Kenya, during the 19th and 20th centuries: Evidence from lake sediments

Okech, EO; Kitaka, Nzula; Omondi, S.; Verschuren, Dirk

doi:10.2989/16085914.2019.1583087

Cited by 9 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…The lake has a surface area of approximately 130 km 2 and a catchment of 6.820 km 2 (Ondiba et al, 2018), with an average depth of 3 m, and the deepest point being about 7 m (Odada et al, 2006). However, with the heavy rains experienced in 2011 in Kenya and the eastern arm of Africa, the lake's surface area was reported to have increased to 207 km 2 in 2016 (Obando et al, 2016;Okech et al, 2019).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatio‐temporal variations in selected water quality parameters and trophic status of Lake Baringo, Kenya

et al. 2021

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Lacustrine and riverine ecosystems provide important goods and services, including being habitats for aquatic biodiversity, local micro-climate moderation and a source of economic livelihoods for riparian communities. At the same time, however, they fact continuing anthropogenic and natural threats that can affect their water quality, ecological integrity and biodiversity. The present study focused on assessing spatiotemporal variations in water quality and trophic status of Lake Baringo, a Ramsar site in Kenya. A number of physicochemical parameters, including nutrient loads, trophic status and organic pollution indices, were evaluated for the lake from water samples collected from March 2008 to December 2020. The results of the present study indicated five parameters (turbidity, fluoride, SiO 4 − 4 , total phosphorus and DO) exceeded the permissible limits for drinking water based on WHO standards. The water quality index (WQI) values ranged between 556.04 and 693.54, being well above the WHO recommended limit (WQI = 100), indicating Lake Baringo water to be unsuitable for human consumption. The fluoride (F − ) ions and water turbidity contributed the most relative weights to the lake's WQI. The organic pollution index (OPI) for the lake varied from 4.33 to 4.67, significantly above the organic pollution scale of 1.0-3.9 and indicating the lake is not organically polluted. A positive relationship was found between turbidity and rainfall, suggesting the influence of catchment activities on the lake. The nutrient load had less effect on both the WQI and OPI of the lake, indicating low inputs from the catchment. The lake's trophic status shifted between eutrophic and mesotrophic conditions from 2008 to 2020, based on the Carlson's trophic status index (CTSI) values. Application of a holistic and integrated lake basin management (ILBM) approach is recommended for the management of Lake Baringo and its watershed in order to sustain its ecological processes and the associated riparian community economic livelihood support from the lake.

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Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatio‐temporal variations in selected water quality parameters and trophic status of Lake Baringo, Kenya

et al. 2021

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“…However, other than floods resulting from heavy rains, an extreme and unprecedented flooding occurred in 2011-2014 in Lake Baringo basin and was associated with changes in earth geological factors that contributed into rise of lake waters and submerged farms along the lake shores [7] . This extreme flooding phenomenon is rare and is said to be a 50 year cycle with previous recorded occurrence from the Lake Baringo drainage basin having occurred in 1901 and 1963 [5,8] . The phenomenon affected the mosquito dynamics in the region and from different habitats.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…The basin has severally experienced outbreaks of diseases such as Rift Valley Fever (RVF), mostly attributed to Elnino/Southern Oscillation phenomenon (ENSO) rains causing flooding [4] . The notable Elnino floods in Lake Baringo occurred in 1997-1998 [5] and 2006-2007 [6] resulting in livestock and human death. However, other than floods resulting from heavy rains, an extreme and unprecedented flooding occurred in 2011-2014 in Lake Baringo basin and was associated with changes in earth geological factors that contributed into rise of lake waters and submerged farms along the lake shores [7] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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2020

Int. J. Mosq. Res.

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Mosquito ecology is influenced by wetness in the environment. In 2011-2014, a rise in waters of Lake Baringo resulted in unprecedented flooding that inundated over 88km 2 of the shoreline. A longitudinal study carried out from October 2012-October 2013 assessed mosquito abundance and diversity in two habitats. A total of 386,624 mosquitoes were captured, 89% from flooded shoreline and 11% from swampy habitat. Family Culicinae constituted 10 genera. Mansonia dominated the catches with 98% from flooded shoreline and swampy habitat 2%. Genetic sequences of Aedes albopictus species was identified and reported for the first time in the basin. Diversity index was higher in swampy habitat (Simpson Diversity Index=0.56), compared to flooded shoreline (Simpson diversity index =0.13). Future recurring floods will result in drastic changes of the ecology and could lead to emergence and reemergence of more species.

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“…Kenya have experienced 11 national outbreaks of RVF with an average inter-epizootic period of three to four years between 1951 and 2007 (Nanyingi et al, 2015). The outbreaks were mostly attributed to Elnino/Southern Oscillation phenomenon (ENSO) rains causing flooding (Nanyingi et al, 2015) with the notable incidents having occurred in 1997-1998 (Okech et al, 2019(Sang et al, 2010. In 2006/2007, an outbreak was reported in Garissa, Ijara, Maragwa, Thika, Baringo and Kilifi (Breiman et al, 2008;Munyua et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Flooding, either from rainfall, artificially induced or unprecedented in any form results in creation of several ecotope layers in a habitat that affect mosquitos' distribution, breeding and eventual diseases transmission (Paula et al, 2012). For a period of over 30 years, Lake Baringo was experiencing a decreasing trend of the waters, from a depth of 8m in 1976 to 1.7m in 2001 (Okech et al, 2019). The area covered by water along the shores of the lake followed a similar trend with submerged land shrinking from 219km 2 in 1976, 136km 2 in 1986, to 114km 2 in 2001 (Okech et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidemiological patterns of Rift Valley Fever from diverse habitats during an extreme unprecedented flooding of Lake Baringo basin, Kenya, 2012-2013

Kabochi¹,

Mwangi

Gicheru

et al. 2021

EAJSTI

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Mosquitoes’ ecology and associated arboviruses are heavily influenced by precipitation and retention of water in the environment. In 2011 and 2014, unprecedented floods occurred in the Lake Baringo basin inundating approximately 88 km2 of the shoreline land. This caused abrupt environmental changes raising fears of an outbreak of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) disease. This study was carried out to determine the situation of RVF disease in livestock from diverse habitats during the extreme unprecedented flooding phenomenon that occurred in the Lake Baringo basin, in 2012-2013. Blood was drawn from the ear vein of livestock selected randomly from the three study areas (lakeshore land, swamp marshy, and dry rangeland habitats). Mosquitoes were trapped using CDC light traps and identified morphologically. From a total of 77 blood samples, eight were positive for RVF virus (RVFV) representing an overall infection of 12%. RVF prevalence from livestock residents in flooded lakeshore land habitat was 2.6% (N=77) compared to the swamp marshy habitat at 7.8% (N=77). No infections were recorded from dry rangeland (0%). Mosquitoes of genus Mansonia dominated the catches in flooded lakeshore (98%). Highest individual catches of mosquitoes of genus Aedes was from swamp marshy area whose abundance was 96.8% and below 2% in other habitats. The Simpson’s Diversity Index for mosquitoes from swamp marshy habitat was 0.56, dry rangeland 0.57, and lakeshore land 0.13. The flooded lakeshore land was the most affected by the unprecedented floods resulting in uneven mosquito diversity and subsequently low prevalence of RVF in this habitat. This could be attributed to prolonged disruption of biotic and abiotic factors creating unfavorable breeding sites of multiple species of primary vectors of RVF in flooded lakeshore land unlike in other habitats.

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Water level fluctuations in Lake Baringo, Kenya, during the 19th and 20th centuries: Evidence from lake sediments

Cited by 9 publications

References 50 publications

Spatio‐temporal variations in selected water quality parameters and trophic status of Lake Baringo, Kenya

Spatio‐temporal variations in selected water quality parameters and trophic status of Lake Baringo, Kenya

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Epidemiological patterns of Rift Valley Fever from diverse habitats during an extreme unprecedented flooding of Lake Baringo basin, Kenya, 2012-2013

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