LAKE VICTORIA BASIN

The people

The population of the LVB is estimated at 40 million (World Bank 2016) and constitutes 30 per cent of the total population of the five countries that share the Basin. The population is largely rural, with an average of 40 per cent living in urban areas (World Bank 2016). AsTable 1.3 shows, the demography varies fromcountry to country – asmuch as 94 per cent of Uganda’s Basin population live in urban areas, while only 5 per cent of Burundi’s Basin population live in urban areas (LakeVictoria Basin Commission 2007a). Major urban centres in the LVB include Eldoret, Entebbe, Kigali, Kisumu, Mbarara, Musoma and Mwanza. Large sections of Kampala lie within the basin. Population density is highest in the Burundi portion of the Basin and lowest inTanzania (Lake Victoria Basin Commission 2007a). Table 1.3: Population distribution in the Lake Victoria Basin Population Total population (Millions)

Traditional fishing

The majority of people living in the LVB have their livelihoods and economic activities rooted in the Bantu, Nilotic and Cushitic cultures (UNEP 2006). Most of these cultural groups are farmers and fishers.

LV Basin 34.5

Tanzania 5.6

Kenya 12.5 92 7.8 257

Uganda 5.6 6 94 180

Rwanda 6.9

Burundi 3.9 95 5 285

60 40

87 13 66

90 10 323

Rural population (%) Urban population (%) Population density (number of people per km²)

Source: Lake Victoria Basin Commission 2007a

Population density in the Lake Victoria basin

Lake Albert

Lake Kyoga Victoria Nile

Lake Baringo

SIO

NZOLA

Lake Wamala

Lake Bogoria

Katonga

Nzola

Lake George

NYANDO

KATONGA

Lake Edward

Lake Kachira

Sondu

SONDU

BUKORA

Lake Kyanebalola

Lake Victoria

Lake Naivasha

GUCHA-MIGORI

Kagera

Lake Ikimba

Mara

MARA

Lake Kivu

KAGERA

GRUMETI

Lake Burigi

Mbalageti

Population Density (pop / km 2 )

NYASHISHI

SIMIYU

Simiyu

GEITA-BUKOBA

0 to 100

MOGOGO - MOAME

100 to 200

200 to 300

ISANGA

300 to 400

400 to 500

100 km

Lake Victoria basin

500 to 750 > to 1000

Copyright © 2016 GRID-Arendal · LeviWesterveld Sources: Center for International Earth Science Information Network - CIESIN - Columbia University. 2016. Gridded Population of theWorld,Version 4 (GPWv4): Population Density Adjusted to Match 2015 Revision UNWPP CountryTotals. Palisades, NY: NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). http://dx.doi.org/10.7927/H4HX19NJ. Accessed 17/11/2016.

Sub-basins

Figure 1.5: Population density in the LVB

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