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Nairobi 30 June 2005: UN-HABITAT, in collaboration with
other partners, is organizing a clean up campaign in the Lake Victoria
region to raise awareness among the residents on the need to take better
care of the world’s second largest fresh water lake.
“The main objective of the project is to innovatively change attitudes
and behaviour with regard to environmentally unsound activities that continue
to harm Lake Victoria. Intended as an annual event, it is an initiative
that encourages environmental action at the local level. By encouraging
people to adopt a hands-on approach to environmental management, this
activity will be beneficial to the surrounding communities as it will
inspire and support them to take simple, positive steps towards restoring
and protecting the environment, thus enabling them to take ownership over
it’s conservation,” UN-HABITAT said in a statement.
The event is jointly organized by UN HABITAT, The Lake Victoria Region
Local Authorities Cooperation (LVRLAC) and the East African Communities
Organization for Management of Lake Victoria Resources (ECOVIC) in collaboration
with the three pioneer CDS cities.
UN-HABITAT with support from SIDA, is implementing the Lake Victoria
Region City Development Strategies (CDS) Programme that was initiated
in early 2002, in a bid to strengthen the capacities of three centers
located along the shores of Lake Victoria. The CDS programme aims to mobilise
the city/municipal governments and stakeholders to develop a programme
laying out City Development Strategies for improved urban environment
and poverty reduction. These strategies uphold popular, private and public
participation in decision-making and focus on building consensus on key
environmental issues.
The consensus has been used as the framework for preparing and implementing
City Development Strategies for Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
The Clean-Up will take place starting in Musoma on 9 July, Kisumu on
11 – 13 July with the official launch in Kampala on 16 July at Gaba
beach. Invited guests to the launch include the mayors and nominated participants
of the 3 participating cities, SIDA officials, key private and public
stakeholders and the general public. Prior to the launch, the beach communities
from Musoma, Kisumu and Kampala will participate in weeklong awareness
campaigns and clean up activities dubbed “A clean environment is
everyone’s responsibility”.
Rigorous consultations with varied stakeholders have yielded Strategic
Action Plans (SAPs) and Strategic Investment Plans (SIPs) to address the
identified priority urban issues in these cities that include sanitation
and drainage, waste management, income generation systems, shelter and
infrastructure, revenue collection, HIV AIDS program, promotion of inclusive
processes and structures of local governance, among others. The Lake Victoria
Clean Up week is under the CDS programme.
BACKGROUND
Lake Victoria is the world’s second largest fresh water body shared by
Kenya (6%), Tanzania (49%) and Uganda (45%). It is estimated that roughly
one-third of the combined population of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda derive
their livelihood from the lake, through subsistence fishing and agriculture.
But this resource can only be sustained if its rich and diverse eco-system
is well managed. The rapidly growing urban and peri-urban centers located
along the shores depend on its natural resources for their economic growth
as well as a source of clean water for domestic use by the surrounding
communities. On the other hand, the centers have caused considerable pollution
and environmental degradation of the lake. Uncontrolled municipal and
industrial effluents (brewery, tanning, fish processing, agro-processing)
continue to pollute the lake threatening the very basis of the local and
regional economy.
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