Lake St. Lucia – South Africa

Lake St. Lucia, with a size of 350 sq. km, lies in the centre of the 2,550 square kilometre large protected area of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (former Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park), the oldest protected area in Africa. It is surrounded by massive vegetated dunes on the eastern shores.

About 530 species of bird are recorded in Lake St. Lucia, among them White Stork, Fish Eagle, Bee Eater, Oriole and Curlew. The range of reptiles is equally diverse, with leatherback turtle, Nile crocodile and the African python. Hippopotamus are found in the Lake as well.

Our partner organisations in South Africa are the Wildlands Conservation Trust and the Wilderness Foundation. Many species of plants and animals were and still are threatened by the impact of human activities upon the environment such as the devastation of dunes by a mining project.

A campaign of about 400 nature conservation associations from all over the world convinced the South African government to stop open pit-mining. In December 1999, UNESCO recognised the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park as a World Heritage Site thus acknowledging the universal value of this unique landscape.

Since 2005, the refosteration of indigenous trees inside of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park is implemented by the local population. This project is realisized in co-operation with the Wildlands Conservation Trust in the frame of the action “Tress for Life”. More information about this project "Trees for Life" you find on a separate site.

The initiative Nature Summer Camps was very successful and was realisized in co-operation with the Wildlands Conservation Trust. Here the volunteers from Germany had the possibility to get involved in the current project activities at St. Lucia Lake and in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

More information about Lake St. Lucia

Detailed Data

Tree-preneur in the project "Trees for Life"

July 2012

Link between the uMfolozi River and Lake St Lucia system restored after 60 years.

Further information on the webpage of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

Documentation of the Community Ecosystem Based Adaptation (CEBA)

(July 2013 - June 2014)

Mkhuze Floodplain CEBA Project Report

Dukuduku Forest CEBA Project Report

Documentation (July 2011)

iSimangaliso Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Project

The following document provides an overview of Lake St Lucia, with particular reference to the problems facing the system due to the transformation of the Mfolozi floodplain, the separation of the Mfolozi and Lake St Lucia estuary mouths and the way in which these problems have been dealt with in the past. It also provides information on the current management approach, the steps that are now being taken and how the iSimangaliso Global Environmental Facility (GEF) project will support the iSimangaliso Authority to find a sustainable medium to long term solution.