New report calls for concerted efforts to protect the fragile Lake Victoria Basin

Engineer Benjamin Ssekamuli, LVBC's Water Resource modeller makes the presentation of the state of the basin report in Belem Brazil. [Harold Odhiambo, Standard] A new report has painted a gloomy picture of the state of the Lake Victoria Basin, imploring the need for more interventions to protect the vital basin. The new Preview Edition of the Lake Victoria State of the Basin Report 2025 provides comprehensive insights into the ecological health, socio-economic dynamics, and governance trends of the Lake Victoria Basin home to more than 45 million people across the five EAC Partner States. The report unveiled during a side event of the United Nation Conference of Parties in Belem, Brazil last week aims to address a wide range of challenges facing the basin, including the growing threat of water pollution. It reveals how industrial effluents, agricultural runoff, and untreated sewage from surrounding cities continue to contaminate the lake. It also highlights the spread of invasive species such as the water hyacinth, which disrupts fishing activities, blocks sunlight, and hinders transport across the lake. The report further shows how climate change has increased temperatures, caused erratic rainfall, and altered lake levels. With the basin hosting over 40 million people, pressure on land, forests, and water resources continues to intensify. While presenting the report during the United Nations Conference of Parties on Climate Change in Belem, Brazil, the Lake Victoria Basin Commission's Water Resources Modeler, Eng. Benjamin Ssekamaluli underscored the severe impacts of pollution on operations within the basin. Ssekamaluli noted, "In the Lake Victoria Basin, climate change and deforestation act like twin forces of destruction, stripping the land of trees, washing soil into the lake, disturbing rainfall, lowering water levels, and destroying wetlands." He added, "As the forests disappear, biodiversity fades, fish stocks decline, and the lake grows warmer and more polluted. With every tree lost, poverty deepens, diseases spread, and the great lake that once sustained millions struggles to breathe. The basin's future depends on how well its people protect the forests that protect the lake." The Lake Victoria State of the Basin Report is a landmark, evidence-based blueprint that connects local realities with regional policymaking. It offers a shared platform for both national and cross-border action. From guiding local investment decisions to informing national strategies on water quality, ecosystems and biodiversity, climate resilience, and infrastructure development, the report integrates environmental, socio-economic, and governance data into one coordinated vision. It empowers grassroots actors, development partners, and policymakers to jointly respond to climate change, population growth, and environmental pressures-safeguarding the basin's natural wealth as a foundation for resilience and sustainable development. The report also highlights efficiencies achieved through German Technical and Financial Cooperation. It draws on data from the Water Information System (WIS), financed by BMZ through KfW under the "Lake Victoria Basin Integrated Water Resources Management Program, Phase 1-3," with a total investment of EUR 60 million. This system has become a cornerstone in enabling the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) to effectively execute its mandate of coordinating the sustainable development and management of resources in the basin. The ceremony was attended by the EAC Deputy Secretary General for Infrastructure, Productive, Social, and Political Sectors, Andrea Ariik, and the Principal Secretary for EAC Affairs, Dr Caroline Karugu. Other attendees included Ms. Ingrid-Gabriela Hoven, Managing Director of the Management Board of GIZ; Ms. Christiane Laibach, Member of the Executive Board of KfW Group; and Dr Callist Tindimugaya, Director of Resources Management at the Ministry of Water and Environment, representing the Permanent Secretary for Water and Environment of the Republic of Uganda, Hon. Dr Alfred Okidi. The Preview Edition of the report was developed by the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) with support from GIZ.

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New report calls for concerted efforts to protect the fragile Lake Victoria Basin

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