Ethiopia · ET

Lake Alemaya (Haramaya)

Lake Alemaya—known in Amharic as `Alemaya Hayk' and in the local Afaan Oromo as Haramaya—is a seasonal freshwater lake in the eastern Ethiopian highlands at an elevation of roughly 2,000 meters, about 14 km northwest of the historic city of Harar. Once a thriving body of water stretching seven kilometers long and fourteen meters deep, the lake dried up completely in 2005 after decades of overuse for irrigation and municipal water supply. Its story of loss and tentative partial revival makes it one of East Africa's most poignant examples of environmental change. For birdwatchers and travelers interested in landscape ecology, the area around the former lake bed remains significant: it is designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA), and during wet seasons when water has occasionally returned, it has supported flocks of flamingos and thousands of Red-knobbed Coots. The nearby town of Haramaya and its historic university (formerly Alemaya University) provide a gateway for those exploring the eastern highlands beyond Harar's famous walled old city.