Lake Tanganyika is the second largest of the lakes of eastern Africa, the longest freshwater lake in the world (410 miles [660 km]) and the second deepest (4,710 feet [1,436 metres]) after Lake Baikal in Russia. Comparatively narrow, varying in width from 10 to 45 miles (16 to 72 km), it covers about 12,700 square miles (32,900 square km) and forms the boundary between Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and part of the boundary between Burundi and the DRC as well as part of the boundary between Tanzania and Zambia.
Lake Tanganyika and its Basin are endowed with exceptionally large and highly diverse heritage of flora and fauna. The lake is a global hotspot of biodiversity, and an extremely valuable aquatic ecosystem containing almost 17% of the global available surface freshwater supply and some of the largest freshwater fisheries on the African continent. It offers a source of livelihood for over 10 million people.
Estimates suggest that Lake Tanganyika harbours at least 1500 species out of which approximately 600 are currently considered endemic to the lake. Environmental degradation caused mainly by human induced activities poses serious threats to the biodiversity and sustainable use of the natural resources in the Lake Tanganyika Basin.
The region has been plagued by recurring episodes of violence with severe humanitarian consequences. Poverty is rampant, and environmental degradation is proceeding at alarming rates. The lake basin is increasingly vulnerable to the effects of human activities, such as deforestation, unsustainable agricultural and fishing practices, mining activities and pollution. The magnitude of these threats is intensified by the impacts of climate change and of the population growth in the basin which, at a rate of 2 to 3 percent annually, is among the highest on the planet.
To protect the biodiversity of the Lake Tanganyika Basin, the governments of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Zambia have launched a five-year project to assess and address transboundary threats. The initiative is led by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project aims to enhance transboundary cooperation among the four countries bordering Lake Tanganyika. It will also promote sustainable fisheries, biodiversity conservation, and the restoration of degraded landscapes in the basin. The project will focus on the restoration of 1,700 hectares of degraded wetlands, forests, riverbanks, grasslands, and lake edges in key protected areas.
The protected areas covered by the project are the Itombwe Natural Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as the Rusizi National Park in Burundi and the Malagarasi-Muyovozi wetlands in Tanzania, with the latter two designated as Ramsar Sites for their international importance. Some of the high priority intervention areas for the project include establishing standards for acceptable fishing practices, including appropriate fishing gears, optimum mesh sizes and fishing quotas, protecting critical habitats, increasing community involvement in fisheries management and promoting sustainable livelihood alternatives among several others.
On the significance of the initiative to protect biodiversity in Lake Tanganyika Basin, Doreen Robinson, the Head of Biodiversity and Land Branch at UNEP remarked that countries have a moral duty to safeguard nature and expressed his appreciation for “this bold step taken by the four countries to launch this nature-positive initiative to reverse land degradation and protect vital biodiversity in the Lake Tanganyika Basin.”
“The launch of this multi-country initiative marks a significant step forward in our collective responsibility to protect and restore one of the world’s most vital freshwater ecosystems,” said Rainer Frauenfeld, UNOPS Director for Eastern and Southern Africa.
