Every semester, EES organise a seminar series, which takes place on Mondays at 16:00 at Biozentrum, Lecture Hall B 01.027
Winter Semester 2026/27
Tadesse Fetahi Hailu
University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The Overlooked Conservation Values of Saline Lakes: A Global Synthesis and Regional Case Study from Abijata–Shala Lakes National Park, Ethiopia
Abstract:
Saline lakes are highly sensitive to changes in water balance and, as terminal basins, exhibit amplified ecological responses to catchment-scale climate variability and land-use change. Despite accounting for 23% of global lake surface area and 45% of lake water volume, these systems remain low on policy and conservation agendas, partly because they are assumed to support simple food webs, low biodiversity, and few ecosystem services. Drawing on a global expert survey of 85 saline lakes (Burian et al., 2026), we demonstrate that these ecosystems harbour approximately 200 IUCN-listed threatened or near-threatened species, 53% of which are birds, averaging five such species per lake. They also support nearly 500 dominant plankton taxa, exhibit high beta diversity, and host microbial communities with largely unexplored biotechnological potential. Ecosystem services, including fisheries, salt extraction, waterbird habitat, therapeutic recreation, and regional climate regulation, remain systematically undervalued, partly because several have yet to be quantified. To translate these global findings into site-specific conservation practice, we examine Abijata–Shala Lakes National Park (ASLNP) in the central Ethiopian Rift Valley as a case study illustrating both the ecological significance and fragility of saline lakes. Lake Abijata serves as a primary feeding ground for Lesser Flamingos and other waterbirds, while Lake Shala hosts what has been reported as Africa’s largest breeding colony of Great White Pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus) [cite]. Together, the lakes provide critical habitat for 436 recorded bird species, including stopover sites for trans-African and Eurasian migrants. Diversion of the Bulbula River, industrial soda ash extraction since 1985, and land encroachment by more than 55,000 park residents have contributed to a reduction of approximately 100 km² in Lake Abijata’s surface area relative to its 1973 extent. Ecological consequences have included the collapse of the tilapia fishery by 1993, a shift from Spirulina to diatom dominance by 1988, and the progressive displacement of flamingos and pelicans to adjacent lakes. Applying the best-practice framework of Burian et al. (2026) to this site, we argue that sustainable management requires integrated catchment-level water-balance planning, long-term biological monitoring, and inclusive stakeholder governance that addresses community resource needs. Ecotourism, bioprospecting and sustainable Spirulina cultivation may offer green-economy alternatives to extractive water use.
Host: Herwig Stibor, Mia Stockenreiter
Previous and future talks in the EES seminar series