7 / 110
7
Lake Victoria Basin is one of East Africa’s most prominent
landmarks. This is in addition to the scenic mountain
areas of the region from which the lake basin receives
much of its water. The lake provides headwaters for
the Nile, the longest river in the world. With a shoreline
bordered by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, the lake
basin also extends into Burundi and Rwanda. Lake
Victoria Basin is central to the development and regional
integration of the East Africa Community.
The Lake basin supports a population of 40 million
by providing a variety of economic and development
opportunities, including fisheries, tourism and
transboundary conservation. The Lake is one of the
most productive freshwater fisheries in the world, with
an annual fish catch of as much as 800,000 tonnes.
Although the lake basin population is largely rural,
some of the prominent cities in East Africa are located
in the basin including Eldoret, Entebbe, Kigali, Kisumu,
Mbarara, Musoma and Mwanza. Large sections of
Kampala also lie within the basin.
The
Lake Victoria Basin: Atlas of Our Changing
Environment
aims to guide policy and decision-making
within the lake basin while also showcasing the
value of regional integration through the East Africa
Community. The preparation of the atlas followed a
rigorous environmental assessment process, which was
intended to profile sustainable development in the
Lake Victoria Basin.
The atlas underscores not only the significance of the
environmental dimension of sustainable development
by emphasizing the costs associated with water
pollution, deforestation, land degradation and invasive
Preface
alien species, among others, but also demonstrates
environmental, social and economic benefits of
regional cooperation. Of note is the acknowledgement
of the role that the lake provides in the safe and cheap
transportation of goods and services among the basin
countries as a means of boosting trade, tourism and
cultural exchanges.
The in-depth assessment of the scale of change in
the state of the environment in Lake Victoria basin
– through both analysis and presentation of visually
compelling maps and graphics – should not only aid
decision and policy-making, but also raise awareness
among the general public. The findings and policy
messages outlined in this atlas should also enable the
identification of opportunities for future research.
In as much as the final product is important, the process
leading up to the production of this atlas is equally
worth noting. The preparation and dissemination of
the atlas clearly demonstrates the value of partnerships
and engagement. GRID-Arendal used its capacity
to communicate complex science in a more easily
understandable way and to facilitate global outreach,
while the Lake Victoria Basin Commission provided
much of the information and data, as well as using its
convening power to facilitate the selection and training
of authors and gave the necessary political legitimacy
to the process.
GRID-Arendal hopes that its partnership with river
and lake commissions is not only strengthened, but
also that such partnerships continue to identify and
produce cutting edge scientific and evidence-based
communication products that guide policy-making.
Dr. Peter Harris
Managing Director
GRID-Arendal