Parque Nacional da Gorongosa Moçambique

Lake Urema at risk of disappearing

Oct 1, 2009 - Gorongosa National Park

Lake Urema runs the risk of disappearing in the near future from the group of ecosystems of Gorongosa National Park (GNP) due to its progressive sedimentation. 

Human beings, with their practices occurring upstream from the hydrographic basins that drain into this natural depression, are indicated as the principal responsible party by the current index of reduction of depth and of the level of water reserves. 

Agricultural work and other actions associated with the movement of land, especially in the slopes, provoke erosion of the soil and organic matter that are transported by the currents towards the paths of water, that in their turn, lead them to the reservoir of the lake, giving origin to the process of sedimentation.  The Urema supplies itself with the waters that come from the Gorongosa Mountain Range and from the Baruè Plateau, province of Manica, including the waters of the Nhandugue River.  It so happens that, according to the preliminary report of the geophysical research carried out days ago along this river in the Casa Banana region by two students of Lund University of the Sweden that will result in the elaboration of their dissertations to obtain the academic rank of Master, "the infiltration of the waters downstream from the rivers to supply the ground water is interrupted because of depositing of sediments in the areas of subterranean refilling,” in consequence of the direct effect of man.



At its depth it diminished from a measurement of 1,50 m in 2004 to 0,5 m today, whereas the surface, that acts like a filter of the cloudy waters, withdrew from an average of 22 square kilometers (period of observation 1974 - 2004) to 10 square kilometers currently. 

People remove the vegetational covering and practice activities that compete for the obstruction of the soil, affecting the normal refilling process that feed the lake. 

To reverse the scene, according to the Manager of Scientific Services of the GNP and dissertation co-supervisor of the both Li Stenberg and Kristina Arvidsson, Dr. Franziska Steinbruch, "it is necessary to adopt a collection of deeply urgent and palliative measures", including "controlling deforestation, prohibiting the opening of farms less than 50 m from the banks of the rivers and respect for Environmental Law". 

"The death of the lake will be an ecological catastrophe, because it constitutes the main spring of the wildlife of the Park under the water supplying point", she alluded.
It should be remembered that Lake Urema houses one of most vast populations of Nile Crocodiles in the world.



Photos:  Franziska Steinbruch and Carlitos Sunza (GNP) and Alison Westwood (Getaway Magazine South Africa)
Map:  Franziska Steinbruch (GNP)
Text:  Carlitos Sunza (Department of Communications (GNP)