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Tanzania takes lead in Lake Tanganyika conservation drive

5 mins read

Tanzania takes lead in Lake Tanganyika conservation drive

Habari za Dharura

October 30, 2026 Admin0

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania has been elected chair of the Regional Committee of the Convention on the Sustainable Management of the Environment of the Lake Tanganyika Basin, taking on a leading role in efforts to address growing environmental threats facing the lake.

The election took place on Friday, October 30, 2026, during the 14th Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of Ministers of the Lake Tanganyika Authority (LTA), which brings together Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Tanzania and Zambia.

Tanzania assumes the position at a time when about two-thirds of the Lake Tanganyika basin lies within its territory.

However, the task comes as rising water levels, declining fish stocks and increasingly severe weather events threaten both the lake’s ecosystem and the livelihoods it supports.

Lake Tanganyika Authority Executive Director Dr Emma Liwenga told the meeting that two major challenges required urgent attention.

“Two major challenges for the moment call for special attention: the rising water level of Lake Tanganyika and the worrying decline in fish stocks,” she said.

She said floods in 2023 and 2024 affected nearly 289,000 people, damaging infrastructure and disrupting economic activities in communities along the lake.

The situation in the fisheries sector also points to growing pressure on the lake’s resources.

A regional assessment conducted in 2025 and 2026 estimated pelagic fish biomass at 1,600 tonnes, compared with 3,500 tonnes recorded in 1998, representing a decline of about 62 per cent.

The assessment was the first to cover the entire lake since 1998, providing updated evidence of the challenges facing fisheries and the communities that depend on them for food and income.

On possible interventions to address rising water levels, Dr Liwenga said a feasibility study had examined the possibility of dredging the Rusizi River, the lake’s only outlet into the Congo River system.

Although the study found dredging technically possible, its effectiveness could be limited during extreme hydrological conditions.

“Combining dredging with channel widening offers better hydraulic performance, while watershed management is an important complementary solution for reducing sediment inputs and strengthening long-term resilience,” she said.

She also called for harmonised vessel registration and licensing, stronger controls on fishing gear, improved sharing of fisheries data and seasonal fishing closures backed by scientific monitoring and cross-border enforcement.

Tanzania’s Minister of State in the Vice-President’s Office (Union and Environment), Hamad Masauni, said the region’s conservation efforts should also deliver economic benefits to communities without damaging the lake’s ecosystem.

“Conservation of the lake must go hand in hand with sustainable economic development and environmentally friendly investment opportunities that contribute to employment creation and increase community incomes,” he said.

Mr Masauni said the four states needed to balance their national interests with their shared responsibility for the sustainable management of the lake.

He called for greater accountability, resource mobilisation and scientific cooperation, urging member states to set clear responsibilities, timelines and measurable targets for implementing decisions made under the authority.

He further stressed the need for partnerships to secure financing, technical expertise and technology, as well as greater involvement of fishing communities, women and young people in conservation planning and implementation.

The impact of climate change on the basin was also raised by the chairperson of the LTA Conference of Ministers, Dr Douty Chibamba, who pointed to the potential risks associated with the forecast super El Niño.

“The recently pronounced super El Niño phenomenon presents a significant challenge for the Lake Tanganyika basin,” he said.

Dr Chibamba called for improved sharing of climate information, stronger early warning systems and better disaster preparedness to help communities respond to extreme weather and possible flooding.

He also emphasised the need for reliable funding to enable the authority to carry out its responsibilities, urging member states to meet their financial obligations and strengthen cooperation with development partners and the private sector.

“Predictable and adequate financing is essential for the effective functioning of the authority and implementation of its mandate,” he said.

Burundi’s Ambassador to Tanzania, Léontine Nzeyimana, said more than 14 million people depended directly or indirectly on the lake basin for their livelihoods, food security and economic well-being.

She cited climate change, extreme weather, unplanned settlements along the shoreline, deforestation and pollution among the pressures threatening the ecosystem.

“No single state can succeed alone without uniting under the convention for the sustainable management of Lake Tanganyika to harmonise policies and coordinate action,” she said.

The DRC Minister of Fisheries and Livestock, Jean Pierre Tshimanga, also called for a coordinated regional approach, stressing that protecting the lake required commitment from all four riparian states.

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