Consultancy Service on Economic Development - Natural Resources Intervention and Investment for the Lake Victoria Basin Final Report

Abstract

The second phase of the Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project (LVEMP-2) is set to begin in the last quarter of 2007, focusing on socioeconomic development, management and research. In each of the three riparian states bordering Lake Victoria, eight consultancies are being undertaken to contribute to the overriding vision of reduced poverty and improvement in the quality of life of the inhabitants of the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB). This final report provides the outcomes of the consultancy to promote environmentally and socially sustainable economic development investments in the LVB by assessing the potential for natural resource interventions and/or investments in the Basin. The specific objectives were to identify priority investments both the short and long term in the LVB, propose establishment of an investment fund to support sustainable investments emphasising micro-enterprises, assess environmental impact assessment legislation and capacity and propose strategies for harmonization and to use Community Driven Development (CCD) approaches for natural resources management. The natural resource sectors investigated were agriculture, fisheries, mining and eco-tourism. Transport infrastructure was also considered.