LAKE VICTORIA BASIN

Draining an area of 194,200 km 2 , Lake Victoria Basin is one of East Africa’s most prominent landmarks. It not only provides the headwaters of the White Nile but is also central to the development and regional integration of the East Africa Community. The Lake itself is shallow but in terms of surface area it is the second largest freshwater lake in the world. Supporting a population of 40 million, the Lake Basin provides a variety of economic and development opportunities, including fisheries, tourism and transboundary conservation. However, these opportunities are hindered by a number of threats that include eutrophication, over-fishing, introduced exotic species and the impacts of climate change.

110