Background
Lake Victoria is the second largest freshwater body in the world. It is considered one of the most important shared natural resources of the East African Community (EAC), which has declared the lake and surrounding basin a regional economic growth zone.
Lake Victoria and the basin as a whole continues to face challenging management issues including overfishing, invasive species, loss of habitats and biodiversity, siltation from erosion of deforested watersheds, pollution through municipal wastewater and industry, lack of water storage, runoff from agricultural areas and solid waste. Environmental problems are exacerbated by the growing population pressure in the basin, which has increased competition over the use of scarce shared transboundary natural resources.
The Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC), an institution of the EAC, is intensifying its efforts on Integrated Water Resources Management whilst addressing Regional coordination among the five Partner States in the Basin (Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi).
About
The BMZ/EU funded LVB IWRM Programme aims to improve water quality and availability through the strategic and sustainable management of the Lake Victoria Basin. The Programme has two components:
1. Strengthen the capacity for cross-boundary integrated water resources management at LVBC THROUGH the establishment of a mutually approved and legally anchored IWRM strategy for the basin, as well as the establishment of a Water Information System . This supports a pipeline of prioritised investment projects for subsequent financing. Component 1 is supported by an IWRM Programme Consultancy (Joint Venture SWECO).
2. Improve the water quality of the Lake BY reducing the disposal of untreated wastewater into Lake Victoria and its tributary rivers, through the implementation of High Priority Investments (HPI) in all Partner States. Component 2 is supported by a Project Implementation Consultant (Joint Venture CES-AKUT & MIBP).
The Programme runs from January 2020 until February 2026.
Programme Objectives
Regional economic integration is enhanced and a contribution to the preservation of biodiversity and to conflict prevention is provided through established water resource management.
Long-term strategic and regional water resources management function of the LVBC Secretariat is strengthened.
Effluents into Lake Victoria are reduced through targeted infrastructure investments in solid waste and waste water management; beneficiaries are sensitised.
Water quality and availability are improved through strategic and sustainable management of the LVB.
Activities
LVB IWRM programme management support
-
Capacity development of LVBC and general support to the IWRM Programme Coordination Unit.
-
Tasks along the stages of the Project Management Cycle, including the development of an IWRM Investment Strategy and Project Pipeline and establishing a Monitoring and Evaluation system.
-
Development and implementation of a Communication and Visibility strategy for the Programme.
Developing a strategy to strengthen LVBC as a Regional institution for IWRM
-
Support LVBC in preparing and establishing a regional IWRM strategy in conformity with national and related regional and international strategies.
-
Implementation of a Lake Victoria Basin Water Information System (LVB-WIS) including a database platform, enhanced models and establishment of a Knowledge Hub, a one-stop web portal for all IWRM data and information on the Lake Victoria Basin.
Implementation of high priority investments (HPI)
-
Support LVBC in updating/ preparing Feasibility Studies for High Priority Investments in wastewater collection and treatment, preparation of detailed designs and tender documents, supervision of construction works and final handover to the designated National Project Executing Agencies (NPEA)
-
Support of NPEAs towards the delivery of the investment projects and their subsequent Operation and Maintenance.
-
Conducting Hygiene and Sensitisation awareness campaigns among the users of the infrastructure and the related services.