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According to the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis
(Lake Victoria Basin Commission, 2007) of the LVB,
Kagera River has the largest inflow into the Lake. The
Kagera River originates from Rwanda and Burundi, as
well as from parts of south-western Uganda. The river
contributes up to 33 per cent of Lake Victoria’s riverine
inflow. The other rivers in the basin are the Bukora
and Katonga which originate from Uganda; the
Nzoia, Sio, Mara, Yala, North and South Awach, Gucha-
Migori and Sondu which originate from Kenya; and the
Mori and Simiyu, which originate from Tanzania.
Groundwater plays a significant part in the water
balance of the sub-catchments of the LVB, and provides
about 40 per cent of the baseflow during the dry
season. The importance of groundwater is shown by
the large areas of wetlands in the Lake Victoria Basin,
which would not exist without baseflow. The decline in
Lake Victoria water level of approximately two metres
between 1999 and 2006 is closely linked to the drop
in groundwater levels. The partial rebound of Lake
levels between 2006 and 2009 was partly due to higher
precipitation, which also caused greater groundwater
recharge (UNEP 2010).
The wetlands of the LVB cover a significant area, with
those in Kenya and Uganda constituting approximately
37 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively, of the total
surface area of wetlands in the two countries (Lake
Victoria Basin Commission 2007). In Kenya, major
wetlands include the Yala Swamp, covering an area
of 17,500 ha; the Nyando Swamp; the Sondu-Miriu
Wetlands at the mouth of the Sondu River; the Saiwa
Swamp on the Nzoia River; and the Kimandi River
Wetlands on the tributary of the Yala River (Lake Victoria
Basin Commission 2007).
Tanzania’s wetlands cover 422,000 ha, and are found in
28 sub-basins of the Tanzanian part of the Lake Victoria
Basin. Of these, 14 per cent are permanent swamp
Water Resources
Wetlands filter harmful substances, protect against floods and soil erosion, and provide food and habitat