STATUS OF LAKE VICTORIA ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROJECT II Regional Targeted Workshop for Africa GEF IW Projects, Grahamstown, South Africa 2-4 March 2012 By Raymond J. Mngodo, PhD and Gerson Fumbuka Lake Victoria Basin Commission

OUTLINE Brief summary Key results Major challenges Priority capacity building needs Needs for collaboration Conclusion

Lake Victoria basin is a large transboundary ecosystem Population – over 35 million; of which 3 million depend on the Lake for their livelihood Lake Basin countries – Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda Lake Victoria – Second largest freshwater body in the World at approximately 68,800 Km2 Lake Victoria shares – Tanzania 51%, Uganda 43%, and Kenya 6% Nile Perch exports – valued at over US$300 – 400 million per annum Water resources – for domestic and industrial water supply, marine transport, and hydropower Ecological services – wetlands, hydrological cycles, waste water repository, terrestrial ecosystems

Environmental stress within LVB Four main sources of stress impacting the LVB have been identified: Stresses within the lake – e.g., over-fishing, oil spills, untreated liquid wastes, water hyacinth, over-abstraction of water from the lake and its basin Stresses on littoral zones – e.g., construction and farming in shoreline, conversion of wetlands, poor solid wastes management Stresses from the basin – e.g., land degradation, deforestation, inflow of water hyacinth, pollution from agro-chemicals, sediment loads, poor solid waste management Stresses from outside the basin – e.g., nutrients (N and P) transported into the basin by air, climate change

LVEMP II Project Development/Global Environmental Objectives To improve collaborative management of the transboundary natural resources of LVB for the shared benefits of the EAC Partner States; and To reduce environmental stress in targeted pollution hotspots and selected degraded sub-catchments to improve the livelihoods of communities depending on the natural resources of the LVB

Expected outcome Harmonized policy, legal and regulatory standards (water and fish quality), management (water and fisheries) frameworks, and FLTFs for the sustainable use of shared transboundary natural resources Reduced amount of untreated wastewater discharged into the Lake by targeted lakeshore cities, towns and communities Increased adoption of cleaner production technologies by targeted industries Enhanced environmental protection and safety of navigation in Lake Victoria

Expected outcomes Increased adoption of SLM and natural resources conservation practices by participating communities in the targeted sub-catchments; and Reduced harvesting pressure on the fisheries and other natural resources Enhanced communities’ ability to plan, implement, and monitor watershed management interventions in the targeted subcatchments

Estimate total costs of program is US$254.2 million over 8 year period

Achievement Harmonization of water policies, legal and regulatory standards Dev. of Water Hyacinth control & surveillance strategy Develop Options of LVETF Dev. Sustainable Land Mgt Strategy Internal communication system – M&E /MIS Information Sharing Protocol

Major Challenges i) project management toolkit; ii) consultant firms/individual cost estimate tool kit; iii) project monitoring and evaluation tool kit

Priority capacity building areas i) Exchanging project experience and expertise at the operational level between projects with similar goals, objectives and activities; ii) Mutually increasing capacity for more effective protection of shared resources and sustainable management of transboundary water systems; iii) To familiarize with the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approaches, concept and tools as well as with the Ecosystems Approach including to improve management of transboundary aquifers as an integral part of the IWRM approach;

Priority capacity building areas The legal frameworks and tools for water resources management at national, regional and international 

Needs for collaboration i) Inter-project stakeholder exchange missions; ii) Targeted Workshop on Integrated Management of Shared Lake Basins Large Marine Ecosystem Governance; iii) Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaption;Wetland restoration and management;

Needs for collaboration iv) Good practice in ground water resources assessment management and public participation; v) Data and information management; vi) Public participation in international waters; vii) Payment for ecosystem; viii) Nutrient Pollution Reduction

Conclusion The LVEMP II project involving 5 countries is complex and challenging but the commitment among the countries is key to success. Sharing of experiences with other basins further improves implementation.

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