Tanzania National Water Quality Synthesis Report

Abstract

The Water quality and Ecosystem Management Component of the Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project (LVEMP) in Tanzania for the past five years have made a considerable progress towards understanding Lake Victoria water quality and its ecosystem as well as effects of resource utilization and exploitation on the lake and its catchment. The component has been able to collect considerable amounts of data and information. In order to achieve LVEMP objectives and Water Quality and Ecosystem Management objectives, in particular, a well-coordinated analysis, synthesis and interpretation of all relevant data was required. This synthesis report documents and explain the changes that have taken place over the recent decades, and provide an overview of the present water quality status of the lake as well as identifying past changes and continuing trends that may require remedial action. The report provides enough detailed information and spatial resolution at the regional scale to support environmental decision making in regards to possible remediation of undesirable changes that have reduced beneficial uses of Lake Victoria biological and water resources. Synthesis report was written under the guidance of an international consultant, Prof. Robert Hecky of the University of Waterloo, Canada, together with the National consultant, Prof. Mwanuzi of the University of Dar Es salaam. A number of working sessions were conducted to enable the scientists to synthesize the report