Water and sanitation to protect biodiversity

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Lake Nakuru National Park (LNNP) is one of over 60 state-managed national parks and reserves in Kenya. In addition to globally endangered species such as the black rhinoceros and the Rothschild giraffe, the LNNP is also home to rare and threatened bird species. Lake Nakuru, which is protected by the Ramsar Convention, forms the central ecosystem of the national park and is the basis for its unique biodiversity. Since 2011, the lake has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Kenyan Lake System in the Great Rift Valley. The city of Nakuru, capital of the district of the same name, borders directly on the northern shore of the lake. The population of Kenya's fourth largest city is expected to double (from just under 400,000 inhabitants in 2017) by 2045. This results in increasing settlement pressure not only in the urban area but in the entire district, which poses a massive threat to the unique flora and fauna of the LNNP. The pollution of the sensitive Lake Nakuru ecosystem by sewage from the city of Nakuru, which flows untreated or insufficiently treated into the alkaline lake, represents the greatest threat in the short term. The sustainable protection of biodiversity in Lake Nakuru National Park goes hand in hand with urban development measures in Nakuru in this project. As part of the project, the conversion and technological upgrading of the Njoro sewage treatment plant will ensure that urban sewage is treated in accordance with Kenyan standards in the future. In addition, the sewer system in Nakuru city will be rehabilitated and expanded to give more residents the opportunity to connect to the sewage network. The total cost of the project is approximately 50.6 million euros.