1. 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

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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

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

10. 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

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

12. 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;

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

14. 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;

15. 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

16. 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.

17. THANK YOU