Lake Simbi Nyaima is a crater lake a few kilometres from the shores of Lake Victoria. The lake is critical transitional refugia of migrating lesser flamingos from Rift Valley lakes due to its favourable climate and food abundance. Likewise home to diverse resident birds. Luo tribe attaches great importance to the site because of its legendary story. However, anthropogenic activities; pollution and clearing of fringe vegetation threaten the lake. The situation is exacerbated by lack of any protection regime. This second-Rufford grant project aims to sustain the lake's eco-cultural attributes from prevailing human threats by developing participatory multi-stakeholders action plan, habitat restoration, site monitoring and surveillance and development of eco-cultural tourism products as eco-friendly alternative livelihood to provide incentive for conservation.

Project Goal:

i) To empower local stakeholders for Lake Simbi Nyaima conservation and sustainable utilization of its natural resources.

Specific Project Objectives:

a) To develop Lake Simbi Nyaima Conservation Action Plan to enable coordinated stakeholders conservation endeavours and joint resource mobilization.

b) To undertake Lake Simbi Nyaima Habitat zonation and restoration for sustainable ecological integrity of the lake and harmonious co-existence of its flora, fauna and locals.

c) To facilitate development of Lake Simbi Nyaima tourism products for local and international marketing to serve as an eco-friendly alternative livelihood for adoption and replication.

d) To facilitate Lake Simbi Nyaima site monitoring and surveillance for conservation interventions impact evaluation and timely remedial actions.

The envisaged outcomes will include:

a) Stakeholders’ mobilization, coordination and ownership of Lake Simbi Nyaima Restoration,

Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of its resources.

b) Functional Lake Simbi Nyaima Stakeholders Network for spearheading local multi-stakeholders conservation efforts.

c) The protected and restored shoreline and surrounding zones for birds and other eco-cultural attributes integrity.

d) Functional community based monitoring and surveillance of the lake for mapping species and habitat condition to inform conservation interventions.

e) Functional eco-cultural tourism products as indicated by number of domestic and local tourists visiting Lake Simbi Nyaima.

f) Increase in number of residents and non residents’ birds’ species and numbers as captured in bi-annual monitoring and national waterfowl birds counts.

g) Reduction in Lake Simbi Nyaima banks erosion by 40% through habitat restoration.

h) Increased number of local individuals and groups joining in the conservation of Lake Simbi Nyaima.