The document summarizes the progress and future plans of the Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project (LVEMP). LVEMP is a regional project across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda that addresses threats to Lake Victoria like water pollution, deforestation, and overfishing. The first phase of LVEMP (LVEMP-I) achieved successes like establishing institutions and building capacity, but future phases (LVEMP-II) will focus more on long-term management strategies developed from a Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis and Strategic Action Plan currently being prepared. LVEMP-II aims to further sustainable development, management, and investment around Lake Victoria over the next 15 years.

1. PROGRESS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
LVEMP-I & THE PREPARATION OF THE LVEMP-II
PAPER PRESENTED AT THE GEF THIRD BIENNIAL
INTERNATIONAL WATERS CONFERENCE
20 – 26 JUNE, 2005, SALVADOR, BAHIA, BRAZIL
Prepared and Presented by
John Wambede
LVEMP NATIONAL SECRETARIAT
LAKE VICTORIA ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROJECT
Ministry of Water, Lands and Environment - Uganda

2. LAKE VICTORIA ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT PROJECT (LVEMP)
• Lake Basin Area : (254,000 sq. km.)
• Area: 68,800 sq. km.,
• Participating Countries: Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda;
• Investment in LVEMP-I: US$ 37 m., from GEF, US$
48 m., from IDA and US$ 8.8 m., from the three
Governments

3. INTRODUCTION
• LVEMP is a comprehensive and holistic
regional development programme
• Regional
• National

4. LAKE VICTORIA BASIN

5. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC
THREATS BEING ADDRESSED
• Deterioration of Water Quality
• Land Degradation
• Deforestation
• Destruction of Wetlands
• Inadequate Collection and Treatment of Industrial and
Municipal Wastes
• Infestation with Water Hyacinth
• Destructive Fishing and Fish Processing Methods
• Inadequate Human and Institutional Capacities for
Research and Management Functions

6. VISION
FOR THE LAKE VICTORIA BASIN
A PROSPEROUS POPULATION LIVING
IN A HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLY
MANAGED ENVIRONMENT AND
PROVIDING EQUITABLE
OPPORTUNITIES AND BENEFITS

7. DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES
• To maximize the sustainable benefits to riparian
communities from using resources within the basin to
generate food, employment and income, supply safe
water and sustain a disease free environment
• To conserve biodiversity and genetic resources for the
benefit of riparian and the global communities
• To harmonize national and regional management
programmes in order to achieve to the maximum
extent possible the reversal of environmental
degradation, and

8. AREAS OF LVEMP INTERVENTION
IN ADDRESSING THE THREATS
1. Establishment of Lake Victoria Fisheries Org.;
2. Fisheries Research
3. Fisheries Management
4. Water Hyacinth Control
5. Water Quality & Quantity Monitoring
6. Industrial & Municipal Waste Management
7. Land Use Management
8. Wetlands Management
9. Catchment Afforestation
10. Capacity Building

9. ACHIEVEMENTS Cont.
• In brief: (a) critical mass of institutional and human
capacity has been build in all the areas of focus; (b)
baseline data/information have been created and trends
are being recorded; (c) pilot projects have been
successfully implemented to test suitable management
measures; (d) local communities and stakeholders in
the basin are adopting proven management measures
so as to ensure sustainability; and (e) stakeholders in
the three countries have learned to work together
through regular harmonization meetings, field visits,
workshops and conferences.

10. FUTURE PLANS: LVEMP-II
• Research Agenda to continue to generate scientific and
social information to guide development and
management interventions
• Management Agenda to focus on setting up
environmental management mechanisms from grass-
root to the EAC Secretariat level under the Protocol for
sustainable development of the Lake Victoria Basin
• Investment and Socio-Economic Development Agenda
that shall focus on encouraging investments in the
basin at all levels

11. PROGRESS IN THE PREPARATION OF
THE LVEMP-II
• Preparation funds have been secured – GEF: US$ 1m,
Japanese PHRD Grant: US$ 2.1m.
• Terms of Reference for the Preparation, completed;
• Procurement Plan; now ready;
• Shortlisting of Consultants to take place soon;
• Preparation estimated to end in December, 2006;
• LVEMP-II to be declared effective possibly June 2006;
• Estimated Investment Cost: US$ 300m., for 15 years

12. PREPARATION OF TRANS-BOUNDARY
DIAGNOSTIC ANALYSIS (TDA) & STRATEGIC
ACTION PLAN (SAP)
• GEF provided US$ 1 million to prepare
TDA/SAP for the lake basin
• Five countries have agreed to jointly prepare
the TDA/SAP;
• Both the TOR for the Preparation and
Procurement Plan have been approved and
consultants are being hired;
• Preparation to end in September/October 2005.

13. USE OF TDA/SAP
• TDA/SAP outputs shall be used to finalize the
preparation of the LVEMP-II
• Output of the TDA/SAP shall also become a ready
reference material at the EAC Secretariat for future
use in the preparation of other interventions in the
basin;

14. CONCLUSION
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION