LAKE VICTORIA BASIN

July 2005 and became fully operational in April 2006, initially operating out of Arusha. In January 2007, the Commission relocated to its current headquarters in Kisumu, Kenya. The protocol establishing the LVBC was signed in 2003 (EAC 2003). The broad mandate of the LVBC is provided for under article 33(2) of the Protocol for Sustainable Development of Lake Victoria Basin; namely to: "… promote equitable economic growth, promote measures aimed at eradicating poverty, promote sustainable utilization and management of natural resources, promote the protection of the environment within the Lake Victoria Basin, and promote compliance on safety of navigation." The vision of the LVBC is to have a prosperous population living in a healthy and sustainably managed environment providing equitable opportunities and benefits. The mission of the LVBC is to promote, facilitate and coordinate activities of different actors towards sustainable development and poverty eradication of the Lake Victoria Basin. The LVB is designated as an Economic Growth Zone for the EAC Partner States. The Basin offers opportunities for socioeconomic development and investment in a variety of diverse areas, including tourism development; lake transport and communication; trade and industry; water treatment, supply and sanitation; and fisheries. Despite the vast opportunities in the Basin, there are a number of environmental, socioeconomic and management challenges. The environmental challenges include over-fishing, point and non-point source pollution, invasive weeds and the degradation of catchment areas. Socioeconomic challenges include high population densities, limited livelihood options, high levels of illiteracy, lack of skilled labour and high mortality rates resulting from HIV and AIDS, malaria, water-related diseases and malnutrition. The main management challenges include the coordination of transboundary natural resources and the enforcement of laws governing the management of these resources. Currently, transboundary natural resources are managed in accordance with national institutional and legal frameworks. In order to sustainably exploit the existing and potential opportunities in the Basin, while simultaneously addressing the challenges, the EAC Council of Ministers has, over the last few years, approved and adopted a variety of legal and administrative instruments to guide the sustainable management of the LVB. These include the Protocol for Sustainable Development of Lake Victoria Basin (2003); the Vision and Strategy Framework for Management and

Development of the Lake Victoria Basin (2004); the EAC Development Strategies formulated every five years; and the LVBC Operational Strategy (2007-2010). These policy documents, particularly the Strategic Intervention Areas defined by the Lake Victoria Basin Commission in the fourth EAC Development Strategy (2011-2016), guided the development of the current LVBC Strategic Plan (2011- 2016) (Lake Victoria Basin Commission 2015). In addition to the five-year strategic planning cycles, guidance for the management of the Basin is also provided through article 3 of the Protocol for Sustainable Development of the Lake Victoria Basin, which identifies 14 areas of cooperation (EAC 2003): • sustainable development, management and equitable utilization of water resources • sustainable development and management of fisheries resources • promotion of sustainable agricultural and land-use practices including irrigation • promotion of sustainable development and management of forestry resources • promotion of development and management of wetlands • promotion of trade, commerce and industrial development • promotion of development of infrastructure and energy • maintenance of navigational safety and maritime security • improvement in public health with specific reference to sanitation • promotion of research, capacity-building and information exchange • environmental protection and management of the Basin • promotion of public participation in planning and decision-making • integration of gender concerns in all activities in the Basin • promotion of wildlife conservation and sustainable tourism development The five LVB riparian countries are Member States of the East African Community (EAC). While East Africa’s major regional policy instrument for the management of the Basin is the Protocol for the Sustainable Development of the Lake Victoria Basin, membership of the EAC Partner States in other regional economic communities, including: the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) of which Tanzania is a member; the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), which includes Burundi, Kenya and Rwanda; and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) of which Kenya and Uganda are members, means some basin states have also to deal with other environmental management instruments. For example, as a member of the SADC, Tanzania is also subject to the provisions of the revised SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourse Systems.

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