Sharing information resources on ecosystem services and biodiversity in the African Great Lakes helps foster collaborative and more strategic efforts.
There are many existing partnerships, plans, reports, decision tools and other valuable information resources that can help inform strategic decision making to address ecosystem services and biodiversity. On this page we bring these information resources together with brief descriptions and direct links to help you quickly find those resources that meet your individual needs.
The proposed project focuses on the two districts of Mpulungu and Nsama, in the Northern Province of Zambia.It aims to maintain globally significant biodiversity and the ecosystem goods and services that it provides to society Improved management of landscapes and seascapes. It aims to promote sustainable land management in production systems (agriculture, rangelands, and forest landscapes).
Lake Tanganyika is an important ecosystem in eastern Africa, which historically has supported one of the world’s most productive freshwater fisheries. However, stocks of important commercial fish have decreased significantly. Scientific evidence suggests that fisheries are partly threatened by climate driven reductions in lake productivity.
This project will update assessments of the status and distribution of freshwater species in the Lake Malawi/Nyassa/Niassa catchment to raise awareness and improve their conservation and sustainable use. Stakeholder input will be combined with the species data to identify and delineate a freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) network, as the potential basis for a protected areas network to better represent freshwater biodiversity.
Lake Victoria Water Supply and Sanitation (LVWATSAN II) is the programme of the East African Community (EAC), coordinated by Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) implemented in 15 towns of the 5 Partner States of the Community. The African Development Bank Group (the Bank) and the EAC Partner States support the Programme.
To support secondary urban centres in the basin to contribute to the reversal of the pollution of the Lake through the improvement of sustainable water supply and sanitation infrastructure in 15 secondary towns within the Lake Victoria Basin.
Planning for Resilience in East Africa through Policy, Adaptation, Research and Economic Development (PREPARED) was a 5-year programme (2013-2018) funded by USAID, which aimed to strengthen the resilience of these fragile transboundary freshwater ecosystems and communities while also working to provide support for the development of more sustainable East African economies.
The Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM), produced by IUCN and the World Resources Institute, provides a flexible and affordable framework approach for countries to rapidly identify and analyse forest landscape restoration (FLR) potential and locate specific areas of opportunity at a national or sub-national level. ROAM can provide vital support to countries seeking to move forward with developing restoration programmes and landscape-level strategies.
Lake Albert is shared between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The lake's water is mainly controlled by the Nile River. Population density in some parts of the lake basin is as high as 149 people/km2. The population growth rate is also quite high. Many people around the lake lack access to clean drinking water, improved sanitation and improved health facilities. This results in a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and water related diseases. Lake Albert has a lower fish diversity than other African Great Lakes, but a high fish catch and dependence on fishing for livelihoods.
Lake Edward is the smallest among the African Great Lakes, but its basin includes the highly productive Lake George. The majority of the population along the lake lack clean water and have poor sanitation. The basin is home to 81 fish species and the lake's productive fisheries employ around 2000 fishers. Two National Parks, Virunga NP and Queen Elizabeth NP) border the lake, making this area a valuable tourism stop.
Lake Kivu is one of the two smallest African Great Lakes, but is the third deepest and sits at the highest altitude. Lake Kivu is located in an area with one of the highest population densities and population growth rates in the AGL region. Lake Kivu is home to around 28 fish species, half of which are cichlids found only in Lake Kivu. Lake Kivu is the largest local source of fish in Rwanda, providing more than 20,000 tons of fish per year and subsidizing fish imports for animal protein. The fishery supports 500,000 people in Rwanda and the DRC.