Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. It’s the source of the River Nile and forms a natural boundary between Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Unfortunately today, it’s in a critical state due to severe pollution and over fishing.
Various developments have led to the lake’s terrible condition. These include industrial waste, the discharge of effluents, fertilisers and sewerage into the lake. And increases in the water’s nutrient salts have led to eutrophication– changes that affect the lake’s ecosystem, like increases in aquatic plants.
The lake’s perilous condition is disastrous for the region. Its fisheries support more than 3 million livelihoods, bringing in USD$ 500 million every year. Its catchment provides water to major urban centres like Kampala and Kigali and it’s also a huge source of hydropower, providing energy to Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda.