LAKE VICTORIA BASIN

Preface

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

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

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