Lake Hawassa

Lake Hawassa is Located in Africa’s Great Rift Valley just 275km south of Addis Ababa, and by its shore lies Hawassa city, with a population of more than 250,000 people. Hawassa is the vibrant capital of Ethiopia’s Sidama Region, known for the beautiful lake, rapid development and lush green space.

People in this part of the world often live in close collaboration with nature and for a photographer this not only creates great diversity where the water can be seen as an ongoing and visually very poetic and rewarding quality. I have explored this very quality with my camera, where the city and lake sort of intertwines in Amora Gedel Park – a less than 1 square kilometer area that has an abundance of monkeys, birds and people.

Yet the lake itself offers much more regarding flora and fauna. There are huge Fig-trees dotted along the shore of the lake and the birdlife is varied and abundant. Species like Egyptian geese, Ibis, many species of herons, african fish eagles, kingfishers, hornbills, love birds and pelicans are common and marabou storks are found in great numbers, especially around the Fish Market next to Amora Gedel Park in Hawassa where they thrive.