LAKE VICTORIA BASIN

The mining industry in Tanzania is an important land-

use activity and currently contributes about 2.3 per

cent of GDP (Lake Victoria Basin Commission 2007a).

Diamonds are mined at Mwadui, in the Tanzanian part

of the Basin. The main gold fields in this area are in the

Lake Zone, south and east of Lake Victoria, extending

up to the Kenyan border. The most active sites are Geita,

Bulyanhulu (near Kahama), Iramba, Sekenke, Kilima

Fedha, Serengeti, Nyambegena, Musoma and Tarime.

The mine waste dumps, mercury contamination from

artisanal mining activities, and the continued pumping

of saline wastewater from mines and quarries, threaten

to pollute the lower part of the Basin.

Energy

Woodfuel provides over 90 per cent of the energy

requirements of the Basin countries (Lake Victoria Basin

Commission 2007a). Other potential energy sources

such as solar, geothermal and wind energy are not

significantly developed. Wind power is used mainly

to pump water, but only in a few areas. Hot springs

are present in parts of the Basin, but these remain

unexploited. Similarly, solar power generation is on a

small-scale and usually off-grid.

In Burundi, there are many small hydroelectric dams such

as Rwegura with an installed capacity of 18 MW, and the

Kavuruga and Ndurumu both of which have a low power

generating capacity of less than 1 MW. Some of the

hydropower stations generate very little power during

the dry season because of insufficient water supply.

In Kenya, fuelwood accounts for 70 per cent of the

energy mix, while oil and electricity account for 20 per

cent and 9 per cent, respectively (Lake Victoria Basin

Commission 2007a). The Kenyan part of the Basin

has the potential for hydroelectric power generation:

according to the Lake Basin Development Authority

Master Plan (1987) the area could generate up to 563

MW of hydroelectric power: 159 MW from the Nzoia

River, 114 MW from the Yala River, 14 MW from the

Nyando River, 249 MW from the Sondu-Miriu River

system and 27 MW from the Kuja–Migori River system.

Currently, however, hydroelectric power generation

is limited, but is set to expand once the Sondu-Miriu

Hydropower project comes on stream (Lake Victoria

Basin Commission 2007a).

In Tanzania around 90 per cent of national energy

needs are met by woodfuel, while petroleum and

electricity account for 8 per cent of total energy

consumption; coal and other sources account for less

than 1 per cent (Lake Victoria Basin Commission 2007a).

Diamondmining portrayed onTanzania stamp