A Systematic Review of Threats to the Sustainable Utilization of Transboundary Fresh Water Lakes: A Case Study of Lake Victoria
Janet Nassali, Zhang Yong-ji, Fangnon Firmin Fangninou
Abstract
For the countries within the Lake Victoria basin, sustainably managing it is critical to the harmonious survival of a vast array of biodiversity. The abundance of resources in and around the lake provides various vital ecosystem services (like food, transport, nutrient cycling, tourism, climate regulation as well as disease and flood control) for humans and countless other species. However, decades of unsustainable development practices combined with unchecked population growth are diminishing the lakes' productivity and threatening its very existence. Eutrophication, proliferation of alien species, water pollution, inappropriate fishing techniques, and climate change are among some of the anthropogenic and natural threats that are besieging Lake Victoria. In light of recent exploration and exploitation of minerals, oil, and gas further degradation of the watershed is not only eminent but a surety. However, to date the institutions mandated with the regional management of the basin have fallen short of their expectations and literature pertaining to the basin's management is quite outdated. There is urgent need to draw attention to the cause-effect relationship between the driving forcespressuresstateimpactsresponses, that diminish sustainable utilization and development of Lake Victoria. Using this indicator-based approach clearly highlights the nexus between the environmental metrics and anthropogenic interactions making decisions for practice and policy-making more sustainable. Overall, the need for robust integrated water management policies within the riparian countries is critical to simultaneously address conservation and development which are paramount in ensuring sustainable development and enhancing the lake's productivity. Sensitization and capacity building within the communities utilizing the lake as a primary source of income will mitigate detrimental impacts from unsustainable usage. More so, appropriate incentives and fines to deter pollution and illegal reclamation of wetlands and forests will promote regeneration of the ecosystem and recovery in the long term.