Invest in Lake Victoria Basin

Abstract

The Lake Victoria Basin Commission, an institution of the East African Community, is playing an increased role as a coordinator of the sustainable development agenda of the Lake Victoria Basin. Although the Commission receives substantial regional and international media coverage, there has been a gap between its accomplishments and what is known by its stakeholders. After the inaugural issue, we shall embark on publishing the newsletter on a quarterly basis. This inaugural issue of the Lake Victoria Basin Digest will give you an opportunity to read a message from the Executive Secretary, Dr. Tom O. Okurut, about the rationale behind publishing this newsletter and what we hope to achieve through this process. As part of the September 2010 World Water Week events in Stockholm, Sweden, the Commission organised a successful seminar under the theme: “Management of Transboundary Water Resources – the case of Lake Victoria Basin”. Our lead story highlights the thematic areas that were discussed and analysed at the seminar as well as some of the participants’ recommendations. The Secretary General of the East African Community, Ambassador Juma V. Mwapachu, made two landmark visits to the Lake Victoria Basin during the second and third quarters of this year to farmiliarise himself with the ongoing projects and programmes of the Commission. In this issue, we bring to your attention the Secretary General’s two visits; the fi rst one in the Mwanza region of Tanzania and the second on the Kenyan side of the Basin. Other important stories in this issue include the successful completion of the appraisal mission for the Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation Project; the kick-off of the Transboundary Water for Biodiversity and Human Health in the Mara River Basin Project (TWBMRB); the launching of the Commission’s research vessel, RV Jumuiya and commentaries by our specialists on topical developments at the Commission.