1. Kigali Marriott Hotel, Kigali, Rwanda United Republic of Tanzania
How Healthy is the Lake Victoria Ecosystems Goods and Services?: Gender-Ecosystem-Poverty linkage Perspective.
Presented at the 5th Nile Basin Initiative Forum, 23rd to 25th October, 2017
Kigali Marriott Hotel, Kigali, Rwanda By
Aloyce Hepelwa
University of Dar es Salaam
United Republic of Tanzania

2. OUTLINE Background Objective Methodology Key results
Concluding remarks

3. Introduction
In areas where community dependence on environmental resources is high:
The implementation of the conservation and economic development policies is challenging.
The win-win situation between the conservation and development policy is missing.
Thus the sustainable resources management is not achieved

4. Introduction
This is magnified by the lack of the link between the conservation and development objectives.
Commonly in water basin areas where majority people are involved in cultivation, grazing and collection of forest products.
This jeopardizes the sustainability of the resources and the human welfare.

5. Objective
The purpose of this study is to argue the case for a new strategy for poverty eradication and sustainable natural resource management by using the local ecosystem – based income generation initiative.
Determine the local ecosystems’ resource potential in the basin.
Establish households dependence on the lake basin ecosystems services [crop production, income and food security
Identify local ecosystem solution to address
directly the poverty
the over exploitation of lake resources.

6. Stakeholders engagement (Local communities)
Methodology
Documentary Review
Stakeholders engagement (Local communities)
Data analysis

7. Local investments opportunities
Basin Analysis
Lake victoria Profile
To understand the basin resources and use
Economic context - general economic trends and dynamics in the basin
Socio-economic context - poverty levels, the income distribution, main livelihoods and the demographic composition
Infrastructure - nature and potential role of basin plays –energy, transport, irrigation, industries etc and their implications for the region’s economic performance.
Basin Profile
Landscaping
Local investments opportunities

8. Local ecosystem solution
Basin Analysis
Basin Profile
2. Landscaping
Explore the status and trends in accessibility and usage of basin resources among several groups in the region
Crop cultivation
Fisheries
livestock
3.Local ecosystem solution
Identification of relevant alternative income generating activities
Conservation investment plan
Prioritization of local investments
Costing investment plan
Landscaping
Local ecosystem solution

9. Lake Victoria Natural Wealth
Economic
Biophysical
Largest inland water in Africa
2nd largest in the world
Surface area 68,870 km2
Catchment area 193,000 km2
Hosts > 300 endemic fish species
Fuel economic development of riparian countries
Main source of H.E.P
Source of water
domestic,
industrial,
livestock,
irrigation]

11. Study area and data

12. Dependence on lake resources(1)
1. Employment
Number of fishers have doubled between 2000 and 2014
>50% fishing is full time job

13. Fishers in Lake victorias vs Fresh water
For the direct fishing, there are about 150,000 fishers, of which 80% are in fresh water.
The Lake Victoria alone contributes about 70% fishers in fresh water.
Most targeted fish species

14. Decreased use of illegal gillnets
Fishing by Gillnets
Major fishing gears used in Lake Victoria include gillnets, long line hooks, hand line hooks, small seines and beach seines.(Report Lake Victoria Frame survey 2015).
Decreased use of illegal gillnets

15. Quantity of fish harvested
Tanzania’s fishery production is estimated to be 350,000 tons/annum
85% is from inland fisheries, 14% from marine and 1% from aquaculture.
Average contribution by Lake Victoria is
65% of all fish production and
76% from freshwater capture fisheries

16. Fish Export
The average catch value at beach for Tanzania is estimated at USD 360 million per year, of which about 70% is from Nile perch.
Figure 1 shows the quantity of Nile perch exported for the period 2001 and 2015.
The catch was highest in the 2005 of about 50,000 tons, however, since then the trend has been declining to as lower as about 23,000 tons by 2015

17. Local level Income from fish
Fish catch is used for both generations of cash income and also for subsistence.
The proportion of income by fishermen from the Sardine, Nile perch and Tilapia is 55%, 51% and 37% respectively
90% of the catch is for sale and the rest is for home consumption
It is found that significant numbers of people are engaged and drives cash income from fish business.
This is the activity mostly done by female than male.

18. Basin supported activities
The main economic activity is crop farming and fishing.
>70% of households are engaged in crop production
Crop grown
Low mechanization
Low adoption of improved seeds and soil nutrients enhancement
Low yield
Low income
Food insecurity

19. Healthiness of Basin resource
Food insecurity
Overfishing
Increased crop cultivation
(low productivity)
Poor welfare condition
High pressure
Ecosystem degradation
Deforestation
(source of energy)
Low income
Most of these resources are under increasing pressure and consequently are deteriorating due to over use
Evidence indicates – Lake resources experiencing threats that are negatively affecting sustainable development

20. Local ecosystem solutions
1. Fish farming (aquaculture)
Less resource use
Sustainable resource management and improved livelihoods
2. Value addition practices
Agro processing skills
Honey processing
Fish processing
High income
3. Alternative income source
-Bee keeping
- Horticulture
4.Investment on
-Improved seed varieties
-soil nutrients applications
Food security
5. Training on entrepreneurship skills and marketing

21. Concluding remarks
Farmers need to be empowered to acquire farm inputs such fertilizer and better crop market access
Investments on awareness and the extension services is required to enhance the use of fertilizer.
Funds dedicated for conservation should be allocated to improve the soil nutrients and technical efficiency.
PhD Defense, VUB

22. Concluding remarks
To reduce the policy gap between development and conservation
It is necessary to improve soil nutrients and technical efficiency
with these:
welfare improvement is achieved
pressure on resources is reduced
Win-win situation