REVIEW article
Front. Conserv. Sci.
Sec. Global Biodiversity Threats
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcosc.2025.1544429
Challenges and strategies for management and conservation of water resources and aquatic biodiversity in the Lake Victoria Basin
Provisionally accepted
- 1University of Eldoret, Eldoret, Kenya
- 2Kenya Fisheries Service, Lodwar Workstation, Lake Turkana, Turkana County, Kenya, Lodwar, Kenya
- 3Department of Environmental Sciences and Education, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
The Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) is an important economic growth zone, sustaining the livelihoods of more than 42 million people. The economies of the five riparian countries (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda) rely heavily on the rich array of natural resources and ecosystem services provided by the basin. However, significant alterations of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems have occurred over the past century. This human-led transformation is evident in the reduction of native vegetation and wetlands, giving way to expanding agriculture and human settlements. Human activities have further manifested in observable declines in water quality, unregulated water abstractions, eutrophication, infestation of exotic and invasive species, dwindling fisheries, and biodiversity declines. These challenges are exacerbated by growing conflicts over resource access and use, and shortcomings in policies, laws, and institutional structures, posing unsustainable threats to ecosystem vitality and resilience. To address these multifaceted challenges, comprehensive management strategies are essential for the well-being of future generations. This paper critically reviews existing literature, elucidating the primary human impacts and threats jeopardizing water resource sustainability and biodiversity conservation in the LVB. It also proposes corresponding management measures to either be implemented or enhanced, aiming to counteract the ongoing degradation of natural resources and safeguard biodiversity.Coordinated management actions at the river catchment and regional scales are imperative, operating within the frameworks of regional cooperation. Priority should be accorded to a cohesive Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach, reinforced by harmonized regional laws and regulations. Emphasizing participatory approaches through co-management, enhanced gathering and dissemination of research findings, mainstreaming climate change considerations, implementing sustainable environmental monitoring protocols, and introducing novel strategies like Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) are crucial steps to reduce reliance on donor funds.The paper also underscores the need for additional research to bridge existing knowledge gaps concerning the status of water resources and biodiversity conservation in the region.
Keywords: Human threats, biodiversity conservation, Lakes, Rivers, management strategies, Water Quality, ecosystem services, freshwater ecosystems
Received: 12 Dec 2024; Accepted: 19 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Masese, Wanderi and Nyangweso. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Frank Onderi Masese, University of Eldoret, Eldoret, Kenya
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.