LAKE VICTORIA RESILIENCE EARNS EAC $44m

 

Riparian states around Lake Victoria are basking on $44million economic benefits annually from a weather hazards resilience project on the water body.

The project has also reduced weather-related deaths on the lake by 30 percent, thus saving more than 300 lives per year. 

This is according to a successful implementation of the four year old High Impact Weather Lake System (Highway) project funded by the UK Foreign Office.

"Economic benefits of the project are estimated at $44million per year", said the initial report on the project aimed to save lives on Africa's largest lake.

It also aimed to support socio-economic development of 

vulnerable communities living around the 69,000 square kilometre lake and its basin.

Initial studies, according to the report,  indicate that more than 200,000 people have directly benefited and 1.4 million indirectly from the initiative.

The project is funded by the UK government's s Foreign, and Commonwealth Office through the Weather and Climate Information Services for Africa (Wiser) programme.

Implementation involved establishing a pilot regional Early Warning System to inform the local communities about high impact weather events on the lake.

The project managers say the project complements the implementation plan for the EAC Regional Early Warning System Vision 2025.

"There is now growing momentum to scale up the investment as part of support for the implementation plan for the EAC vision", they said.

Weather experts say early warnings have protected lives and livelihoods and improved the economic and social well being of people living in the lake basin.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) believes the model can be replicated in other parts of Africa and the world prone to weather-related fatalities.

The Lake Victoria Basin supports approximately 25 percent of the surrounding population in the riparian EAC states; Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.

It hosts Africa’s largest inland fishery, producing about one million tons of fish annually, employing over 200 000 fisherfolk and generating over $ 500 million annually in exports.

Over 30 million people live near the shore line, with 1 400 landing sites or beaches from which 50 000 boats operate.

On average, 3 000 to 5 000 deaths occurred on the lake each year due to navigation accidents caused by strong winds and waves. 

Prior to the Highway project, no regional, operational early warning systems existed to protect the health and safety of those dependent on the lake.

Only the last raining season, the world's second freshwater lake recorded heavy rainfall which caused Lake Victoria waters to rise to record levels. 

Ensuing floods displaced more than 200 , 000 people living in the basin in Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya