Restoration of Lake Victoria

Context: 

Lake Victoria is facing numerous environmental challenges which demand collective efforts for restoration and conservation. 

• Lake Restoration: India-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and National Environment Management Council (NEMC), Tanzania conducted a multinational stakeholder consultation in Dar es Salaam to decide on strategies to restore the lake.

About Lake Victoria

• About: It is the world’s largest tropical lake and the second largest freshwater lake.  (after Lake Superior in North America). 
• Bordering Countries: Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya. 
• • It is also called Victoria Nyanza in Kenya, Nalubaale in Uganda, and Ukerewe in Tanzania.
• Source:  It is a source of the White Nile River which flows northward and eventually joins the Blue Nile in Sudan to form the Nile River.
• Source of Water: Though the Kagera River is its largest tributary, the most important source of water for the lake is rainfall. 
• Geology: The lake lies within an elevated plateau in the western part of Africa’s Great Rift Valley.
• Islands: Important islands are the Rusinga and Mfangano islands in Kenya; the Rubondo and Ukerewe islands in Tanzania; and the Ssese and Ngamba islands in Uganda.
• Need for Intervention: Lake Victoria and its flora and fauna support the livelihoods of about 45 million people. 
• The fragile ecosystem of the heavily polluted lake could be damaged irreversibly in the absence of appropriate interventions.

News Source: DTE

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