544
contributes to economic growth and foreign exchange. Nile tilapia mainly serves
the domestic and regional markets, which supports food security, employment, and
household income.
There is evidence that global climate change may also contribute to the decline
in fish yields in the region. A study of algae records from the bottom of nearby Lake
Tanganyika found that over the last century, warming waters have driven down fish
yield in the Lake by 30% (O’Reilly et al. 2003). As surface water is warmed by the
sun and air, levels of dissolved oxygen in deep waters in the Lake gradually decline,
forcing fish to swim closer to the surface. Nutrients from the depths are prevented
from reaching plankton near the surface, leading to a diminishing supply of food for
fish. This finding has implications for the importance of considering the dynamic
nature of climate change when studying the food–energy–water nexus in watersheds, particularly in semi-tropical regions.
19.4.3 Watershed Governance
The riparian countries in the Basin are taking measures to address these three issues
of eutrophication, deforestation, and overfishing, including the creation of the Lake
Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) under the East African Community of six
countries, facilitates free trade and cooperation between member states. The LVBC
has the objective of restoring the health of the Lake to better support biodiversity
and human welfare. LVBC was formed as an apex institution responsible for all
initiatives in the Basin, including a number of conservation and restoration initiatives and programs designed to eradicate poverty, promote economic growth, and
reverse environmental degradation.
A Strategic Action Plan for the Lake Victoria Basin was adopted by the East
African Community in April 2007 (LVBC 2007). It is an important point of departure for improved natural resources management and development and includes elements such as investments in reforestation, implementation of policies for fisheries
and, reduction of point source pollution. However, many components in the action
plan focus on addressing the symptoms of problems related to the food–energy–
water nexus in the Basin, rather than on the underlying causes of unsustainable
management of natural resources and degraded ecosystems, which is ultimately a
lack of alternative livelihoods, a lack of alternative sources of energy, and weak
monitoring and enforcement of existing laws and policies.
The challenge of transboundary governance for the Lake Victoria Basin is made
difficult by the fact that the riparian areas and watershed lands of most of these lakes
lie within more than one political jurisdiction. This challenge is characterized by
low levels of coordination in a fragmented political system, in the context of a
diverse, rural economy. Water resource and environmental management organizations often do not understand the complementary nature of their responsibilities and
do not work together effectively toward shared watershed goals.
R. B. Richardson
contributes to economic growth and foreign exchange. Nile tilapia mainly serves
the domestic and regional markets, which supports food security, employment, and
household income.
There is evidence that global climate change may also contribute to the decline
in fish yields in the region. A study of algae records from the bottom of nearby Lake
Tanganyika found that over the last century, warming waters have driven down fish
yield in the Lake by 30% (O’Reilly et al. 2003). As surface water is warmed by the
sun and air, levels of dissolved oxygen in deep waters in the Lake gradually decline,
forcing fish to swim closer to the surface. Nutrients from the depths are prevented
from reaching plankton near the surface, leading to a diminishing supply of food for
fish. This finding has implications for the importance of considering the dynamic
nature of climate change when studying the food–energy–water nexus in watersheds, particularly in semi-tropical regions.
19.4.3 Watershed Governance
The riparian countries in the Basin are taking measures to address these three issues
of eutrophication, deforestation, and overfishing, including the creation of the Lake
Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) under the East African Community of six
countries, facilitates free trade and cooperation between member states. The LVBC
has the objective of restoring the health of the Lake to better support biodiversity
and human welfare. LVBC was formed as an apex institution responsible for all
initiatives in the Basin, including a number of conservation and restoration initiatives and programs designed to eradicate poverty, promote economic growth, and
reverse environmental degradation.
A Strategic Action Plan for the Lake Victoria Basin was adopted by the East
African Community in April 2007 (LVBC 2007). It is an important point of departure for improved natural resources management and development and includes elements such as investments in reforestation, implementation of policies for fisheries
and, reduction of point source pollution. However, many components in the action
plan focus on addressing the symptoms of problems related to the food–energy–
water nexus in the Basin, rather than on the underlying causes of unsustainable
management of natural resources and degraded ecosystems, which is ultimately a
lack of alternative livelihoods, a lack of alternative sources of energy, and weak
monitoring and enforcement of existing laws and policies.
The challenge of transboundary governance for the Lake Victoria Basin is made
difficult by the fact that the riparian areas and watershed lands of most of these lakes
lie within more than one political jurisdiction. This challenge is characterized by
low levels of coordination in a fragmented political system, in the context of a
diverse, rural economy. Water resource and environmental management organizations often do not understand the complementary nature of their responsibilities and
do not work together effectively toward shared watershed goals.
R. B. Richardson