E-News Beat #35
March 2023 | News and latest updates
Lake Victoria Basin-Water Information System gets underway in Entebbe, Uganda
A series of four in-person Lake Victoria Basin-Water Information System (LVB-WIS) workshops have kicked off this month starting in Entebbe, Uganda (6 – 10 March) with other Partner States, Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya to follow. Besides these sessions also a series of virtual sessions are planned in between. This is to keep the momentum and to maximize the effect of capacity building on the LVB-WIS.
These working sessions form the start of the ‘joint configuration’ of the LVB-WIS. Alongside the actual installation of the information system, the sessions consist of training programmes for the experts of the Five Partner States. Capacity building and a transfer of knowledge on ‘how to develop and maintain the system’, is a corner stone in the sustainable development of the LVB-WIS.
The ultimate goal of the planned working sessions is to develop and set-up a fully functional LVB-WIS.
Specifically, the workshops intend to ensure:
· Configuration of the Delft-FEWS software component of the LVB-WIS,
· Implementation of the Nile Basin DSS – Delft FEWS database linkage,
· Installation of the LVB-WIS as a client-server system,
· Undertaking acceptance testing of the LVB-WIS, and
· Capacity development/training of the LVB-WIS experts.
· Selection of Use Cases (pilot studies in the partner states)
· Approach for in situ data collection and data sharing
The main use of the LVB-WIS will be:
· Joint problem analysis among the partner states
· Transboundary – river basin management
· Regional data collection, validation and sharing
· Hydrological modelling to prepare information products
· Support for strategic decision making for regional IWRM challenges
· Monitoring & Evaluation of IWRM policies and climate change measures
· Evaluation of effectiveness of investment to improve water quality
Image: LVB-WIS workshop gets underway in Entebbe, Uganda
Workshop outcomes
It is hoped that the LVB-WIS becomes fully functional and operational, with an installed client-server system including an agreement on the selected use of cases and data collection.
A well trained group of Partner States experts can independently operate and further develop the LVB-WIS. And an active web page (will publish relevant Lake Victoria Basin Integrated Water Resources Management (LVB IWRM) information that is generated by the LVB-WIS. All Partner State water management authorities are expected to benefit from the training.
The training is closely linked to the Lake Victoria Basin Commission’s main mission: ‘To promote, facilitate and coordinate activities of different actors towards sustainable development and poverty eradication of the Lake Victoria Basin’. More specifically in the implementation of the LVB IWRM strategy.
Communities in the LVB will also have improved access to information products on IWRM and possible solutions to flood, drought, and pollution hazards.
Added value of the LVB-WIS
All Partner States already have their proper operational water information systems. However due to the present day and future, IWRM and climate change challenges, more close international cooperation is needed.
A regional LVB-WIS will support a range of issues such as:
· Transboundary – river basin management issues
· Long term basin wide response (flood, drought, pollution)
· Combined effort on climate adaptation and mitigation measures
· Harmonize IWRM regional capacity amongst partner states (knowledge, equipment, data)
· Support project fund raising (interaction with international donor agencies)
· Basin wide monitoring & evaluation (‘State of the Basin’)
· Harmonize and operationalize basin wide environmental regulations
· Facilitate regional IWRM data collection, validation, processing and sharing