Lake Tanganyika Authority Conference of Ministers Chairperson Mike Elton Mposha has announced that the Conference has approved measures to address rising water levels including early warning systems, water level regulation, and an emergency plan.
Hon. Mposha, Zambia’s Minister of Green Economy and Environment, announced this after the Member States approved and signed the Declaration of the Third Extraordinary Meeting of the Lake Tanganyika Authority Conference of Ministers in Dar es Salaam.
The LTA is a sub-regional group comprising the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Burundi, and Zambia, all of which share Lake Tanganyika.
“We have approved the following proposed actions to be implemented in the short-term in order to address the impact of the rise in water levels of Lake Tanganyika:
(i) Setting up of community based early warning systems and development and implementation of local early warning system to quickly alert communities to potential flooding or other risk;
(ii) Carrying out an urgent feasibility study to ascertain the possibility to construct a dam on Lukuga river [in DRC] in order to regulate water levels in Lake Tanganyika;
(iii) Dredging of the Lukuga river twice a year for flood control and water security;
(iv) Assessment of the hydro meteorological, hydrological, hydrogeological and other environmental related data at country and regional levels
(v) To put in place an emergency plan in response to disasters,” the Declaration read in part.
The proposed dam at Lukuga River will be designed to manage Lake Tanganyika’s water levels by increasing outflow when levels are high and reducing outflow when levels are low.
According to the Declaration, the Conference also approved medium-term measures that include the development of a comprehensive report on the status of the Lake basin and initiation of a programme to restore degraded areas through reforestation, soil conservation and erosion control in catchment areas.
The other medium-term measures will be to map sensitive areas of flooding and drought, harmonisation of the legal and regulatory framework of the buffer zone for the four riparian countries, considering the alert levels and harmonise water quality monitoring procedures and standards and conducting socio-economic and other scientific studies.
On long-term measures, the Declaration stated that the Conference of Ministers approved the promotion of sustainable land use practices that including reforestation in the lake catchment areas to reduce erosion and improve water retention and promote sustainable livelihoods such as climate smart agriculture, fish caging, eco-tourism.
Other long-term measures are inclusion of a component relating to restoration of degraded areas and infrastructure in all new projects, and restoration of degraded ecosystems and construction of a dam on Lukuga river guided by the result of a feasibility study.
The Third Extraordinary Meeting of the Lake Tanganyika Authority Conference of Ministers was held following the request from the Government of Burundi to deal with the rising of water levels in the Lake Tanganyika.
The floods due to rising water levels in Lake Tanganyika have affected human lives, health, and socio-economic wellbeing of riparian communities in Burundi, DRC, Tanzania and Zambia.
Issued by:
Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, Communications Unit
We have not fully utilized the Lake Tanganyika to benefit the country economically. I think we should construct a good tourism resort, bring global brands, and conferences. As of now, zero apart from transporting Cement and Sugar yet the potential is immense