Geoscience Reference
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environment and sustains the well-being of local people” (The International
Ecotourism Society 1991).
An example of an ecotourism project managed by the local community
on Mt. Kenya is the Lake Nkunga Ecotourism Project. This consists of a
crater lake sitting on 40 ha of land surrounded by a natural forest whose
trees are in danger of depletion through illegal logging. The lake is situated
near Meru Town in Meru County, and is considered sacred because in the
traditional past the Ameru used it as a sacrifi cial area to their god (Kariuki
2005). The geological formation of the crater Lake offers tourism potential
in the area. There are plans to develop water
sports, picnic
sites and nature
trails. The project commenced in 2001 as a joint project of the United Nation
Development Programme-Global Environmental Facility/Small Grants
Programme (UNDP-GEF/SGP), the Lions Club of Meru and the local
community through their elected representatives. The UNDP-GEF/SGP and
Lions Club of Meru are the main sponsors of the project. The contribution
of the local community is mainly providing labour. The conservation of the
lake was designed to meet the conservation objectives of the area as well
as the needs of the local people who are dependent on the lake's water for
their household use.
Climate change and mountain tourism in Kenya
Mountain ecosystems are sensitive to climate change. Observable effects
of climate change in mountain areas include less snow, receding glaciers,
melting permafrost and more extreme events such as landslides and rock
falls. Climate change is also likely to shift mountain fl ora and fauna, thereby
affecting future tourism (Burki et al. 2003, Greenwood 2008, World Bank
2008). The receding of the glaciers of Mount Kenya is symbolic of the impact
of climate change in Kenya. It also illustrates how the relationship between
cause and effect is less than straightforward. Although much accentuated
in the last 20 years, the glacier retreat seems likely to have commenced
early in the 20th century. Recent human deforestation of the lower slopes
has also played a part by altering the local ecosystem and micro-climate
(Bussmann 1996, KWS 2011).
As already discussed above, tourism is a major source of foreign
exchange for Kenya. Climate-change-related impact on natural resources
therefore has direct effects on the country's tourism industry. Climate change
could thus place tourism at risk, particularly in coastal zones and mountain
regions (IPCC 2007). For example, the 1997/1998 coral bleaching episode
observed in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea was coupled with a strong El
Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). In the western Indian Ocean region, a
30% loss of corals resulted in reduced tourism in Mombasa, and caused
fi nancial losses of about US$ 12-18 million (Payet and Obura 2004, IPCC
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