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Kenya: Saving Lake Victoria Will Benefit Millions
Lake Victoria, the source of the White Nile, is the second largest freshwater lake in the world, covering nearly 68,800km squared and a water catchment area of 184,000km squared.

The importance and potential of this water body for regional development cannot be overstated. It is a major source of hydroelectric power, with the Owen Falls dams (Nalubale and Kiira) providing over 98 per cent of Uganda's electricity.
 
Its location makes it a natural logistics hub linking Kenya to the hinterland of eastern Africa. And the awesome scenery and cultural richness of the area make it a prime candidate for tourism.

But all this potential can only be realised if the lake is vibrant and sadly, a number of combined threats are choking it to death.

First, just two rivers - Nzoia in Kenya and Kagera in Tanzania - contribute 47 per cent of the lake's water and with reducing forest cover in those countries, this inflow has dropped significantly in the past five years.

Growing concern

Inappropriate use of the lake is also a contributor. Experts blame the Owen Falls dams for at least 55 per cent of the decline in water levels, arguing that they routinely release twice the water volume allowed. As a result, Lake Victoria's water level reached an 80-year low in 2006.

Another threat is environmental mismanagement - both point source pollution (untreated sewerage, fish processing waste, and other industrial wastes) and nonpoint source (agricultural runoff and sediment loading from deforestation).

This dumping has serious spin-off effects. For example, water hyacinth, an opportunistic plant that travelled down the Kagera River, only flourished because of the putrefaction of the lake.

Since then, hyacinth has become an ecological plague suffocating the lake, diminishing the fish reservoir and devastating the local economy.

Lately there is also growing concern about unsafe navigation resulting in scores of deaths from capsized boats. Some of these casualties can be averted with proper management of navigation routes. The last mapping of the lake was reportedly performed in the 1920s leaving those navigating the lake unaware of hazards like rock outcrops.

The solutions to all these challenges are within reach. But ongoing efforts require prioritisation from the government and wide public support. If we invest in the sustainability of Lake Victoria, benefits will accrue to over 30 million people that depend on it directly and indirectly.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200805201058.html
 

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