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No. 00287 |
September 13-19, 2003 |
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PS calls for exploitation of Lake Basin potentialsby Ingrid Mboya (SAUT)
The Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project (LVEMP) three partner states of the East African Community (EAC) last week conducted a Regional concept workshop at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC), Arusha to discuss the achievements and constraints encountered in their first phase. Opening the workshop, the Permanent Secretary in Vice President’s Office, Tanzania, Mr. Raphael Mollel, said the Lake Basin has huge economic, potential including fertile land, tourism, wildlife, mineral deposits, hydro power and a combined market of ninety million people in East Africa alone. "There is no doubt that the deliberations of the workshop will pave way for preparations and subsequent implementation of the LVEMP II and other future developments in the lake basin", he added. "Any agenda that addresses environmental issues touches the most basic human concerns", he said EAC’s Secretary General, Amanya Mushega told the workshop participants that the project aimed at introducing sustainable environmental, social and economic development to the region and also maintain the biodiversity and resources for the benefit of the present and future generation. "The project first and foremost intention is to utilize the lake for the benefit of all the people living around it, and also preserve and make use of it properly to bring development to the region and be able to eradicate poverty", he added. According to Mr. Mushega the implementation of the project has faced some challenges but managed to come through and achieve success in various project components. LVEMP I is the first project on environment and natural resources to be implemented in the region It is scheduled for completion in 2004. The long term strategic goal for the vision process has been to develop an enabling environment that will encourage stakeholders in the Lake Victoria basin to work together to sustain a lake basin ecosystem which is healthy, dynamic and complex that can support the human activities in the catchment. Participants of the workshop were drawn from a wide array of stakeholders namely the EAC partners on Lake Victoria basin, International and Regional NGOs, Government ministries, Local governments, Civil society organizations, Norwegian Ambassador, and Private sector members.
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Last modified:
September 11, 2003. Webmaster: WDJMallya |
