Integrated Lake Basin Management (ILBM) and its Application to Water Quality Management

in Lake Victoria Basin

UNEP-DTIE-IETC & ILECConsultative Meeting on Water and Wastewater Management

Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan19-20 April 2010

Victor MuhandikiGlobal Environmental Leaders Program

Graduate School of Environmental StudiesNagoya University

E-mail: victor@urban.env.nagoya-u.ac.jpWebsite: www.envleaders.env.nagoya-u.ac.jp

PART A: ILBM

• A1. Lake Basin Management Initiative (LBMI)

• A2. Integrated Lake Basin Management (ILBM)

PART B: Application of ILBM to Lake Victoria

• B1. Introduction to Lake Victoria

• B2. Pollutant Loads

• B3. Towards a Regional Level Water Quality Management Strategy

Final Thoughts

Outline

A1.

Lake Basin Management Initiative (LBMI)

Lake Basin Management Initiative(GEF-MSP, 2003-2005)

• Lakes are often not on the agenda, despite their many values, and the many threats they face

• Lakes need to be brought into the mainstream of water resources management

• Lessons on past GEF and non-GEF lake projects need to be learned and disseminated

• Objective

• To strengthen capacity for improved lake basin management at local, national and transboundary levels

LBMI Rationale

Problems

Lak

es

in t

he W

orld

Ecosystem Services of Lakes

• Integrating nature

• Everything comes together in lakes

• Long retention time

• Problems remain long, finding solutions takes long

• Complex response dynamics

• Everything affects everything else in water

Three Unique Characteristics of Lakes

Retention Times of Selected Lakes

Lake Retention Time (yr)

Natural LakesTiticaca (Peru/Bolivia)Tahoe (USA)Baikal (Russia)Superior (Canada/USA)Great Bear (Canada)Michigan (USA)Vettern (Sweden)Victoria (Kenya/Tanzania/Uganda)Biwa (Japan)Balaton (Hungary)Tai-hu (China)

ReservoirsVolta (Ghana)Kariba (Zambia/Zimbabwe)Tucrui (Brazil)

1,343700380191124

995623

5.520.65

4.330.14

Example: Complex Response Dynamics

Pla

nkt

on

Conc

entr

atio

n

Nutrient Concentration

Biomagnification of PCBs in North American Great Lakes

Herring Gull Eggs124 ppm

Lake Trout4.83 ppm

Smelt 1.04 ppm

Zooplankton 0.0123 ppm

Phytoplankton0.0025 ppm

• Integrating nature

• Issues are mostly inseparable

• Manage across jurisdictions

• Mix of control instruments

• Long retention time

• Changes are gradual and invisible

• Long-term commitments

• Long-term monitoring

• Compex response dynamics

• Lakes are unpredictable and uncontrollable

• Scientific approach

Management Implications of Lake Characteristics

A2.

Integrated Lake Basin Management (ILBM)

• Harmony between humans and nature

• Lake drainage basin

• Long-term preventative approach

• Science and information

• Conflict resolution

• Stakeholder participation

• Good governance

Principles of Lake Management

Integrated Lake Basin ManagementIntegrated Lake Basin Management

• ILBM is a way of thinking that assists lake managers and stakeholders in achieving sustainable management of lakes and their basins

• Is ILBM a “Movement”?

What is ILBM?

B1.

Introduction to Lake Victoria

African Lake Basins in LBMI

Lake Victoria BasinItem Total Kenya Tanzania Uganda Burundi Rwanda

Surface area (km2) 68,870 4,113(6%)

33,756(49%)

31,001(45%)

0 0

Catchment area (km2) 193,000 42,460 (22%)

84,920(44%)

30,880(16%)

13,510(7%)

21,230(11%)

Lake Victoria Basin

• KTI-1. Land, wetland and forest degaradation

• KTI-2. Fisheries, habitats and biodiversity

• KTI-3. Point and non-point source pollution and eutrophication

• KTI-4. Water balance, water use management and climate change

• KTI-5. Governance, policy and institutional weaknesses

Key Transboundary Issues (KTIs) from Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA)

Deforestation in Mau Escarpment, Kenya

KTI-1. Catchment Degradation

Soil Erosion in Rachuonyo District, Kenya

KTI-1. Catchment Degradation

Riverbank Cultivation, Kakamega, Kenya

KTI-1. Catchment Degradation

Yala River, Kakamega, Kenya (upstream)

KTI-1. Catchment Degradation

Yala Wetland, Kenya (agricultural development)

KTI-1. Catchment Degradation

Nile Perch Processing Leftovers, Jinja, Uganda

KTI-2. Fisheries, Habitats and Biodiversity

Gaba Lakeshore Town, Kampala, Uganda

KTI-3. Pollution and Eutrophication

Nyalenda Informal Settlement, Kisumu, Kenya

KTI-3. Pollution and Eutrophication

Usenge Beach, Bondo, Kenya

KTI-3. Pollution and Eutrophication

Photo: OSIENALA, September 2003

Water Hyacinth, Homa Bay Port, Kenya

KTI-3. Pollution and Eutrophication

Photo: H. Bootsma

Biomass Burning in Lake Malawi Watershed

KTI-3. Pollution and Eutrophication

Photo courtesy: Ladisy Chengula

Hanging Ferry Terminal at Mwanza, Tanzania

KTI-4. Water Balance

KTI-5. Governance, Policy and Institutional Weaknesses

• Some believe that “Governance” is the core issue in many countries in Africa

• The big question is how “Lake Basin Governance”should fit into the “Broader Governance” framework

B2.

Pollutant Loads

• Nutrients

• Eutrophication is the major problem

• Sediments

• Pathogenic and microbial contamination

• Heavy metals and organics

Pollutants of Concern

• Urban point sources

• Municipal STPs

• Urban non-point sources

• Urban areas and shoreline settlements

• Agriculture and forestry non-point sources

• Wetlands non-point source

• Industrial sources

• Conventional industries

• Specialized industries (e.g. gold mining)

• Atmospheric deposition

Pollutant Sources

Source TN (%) TP (%)

Point (Municipal and Industrial) <5? <5?

Non-point (Rivers) 5-50 20-30

Atmospheric Deposition 50-80 60-80

Biological N-fixation 80?

Relative Magnitude of Nutrient Loading Sources to Lake Victoria

Source: Kayombo and Jorgensen (2005), Mnyanga et. al. (2005)(most authors refer to LVEMP (2002) report by COWI Consulting Engineers)

Transparency (LVEMP, 2002)

B3.

Towards a Regional Level Water Quality Management Strategy

• National level efforts exist in each basin country, but at varying degrees

• Policies, laws and regulations

• Enforcement

• Water quality monitoring

• Challenges are

• To expand scope of efforts to basin level

• Strengthen local actions that will have immediate impact on stress reduction

Current Efforts

• Issue 1: Setting the agenda

• How should the individual strategy components be decided on?

• How should the “process of deciding” and the “selecting of individual components” be done?

• Issue 2: Geographic scope of the project

• Are basin issues adequately considered?

• What are the effects of management actions at the downstream?

An ILBM Perspective: Key Questions (1/5)

• Issue 3: Institutions

• How does the creation of new institutions change the institutional landscape?

• What were the advantages/disadvantages of creation or re-organization of any institutions?

• Issue 4: Policies and rules

• What are the key behaviors that need to be changed through the management actions?

• Which desirable behaviors are to be reinforced?

An ILBM Perspective: Key Questions (2/5)

• Issue 5: Public participation

• How will people affected by the management actions effectively take part in design and decision-making?

• Issue 6: Technology

• How well will technical interventions be effective/maintained?

• Are the root causes of problems addressed?

An ILBM Perspective: Key Questions (3/5)

• Issue 7: Information

• Is the situation of the lake regarding problems, causes and effects well understood?

• Issue8: Financing

• What are the key financing needs?

• Will financing be sustainable beyond “the project”?

An ILBM Perspective: Key Questions (4/5)

• Issue 9: Planning

• How does the new strategy fit into pre-existing programs/projects?

• To what extent is integration among sectoral interests pursued?

An ILBM Perspective: Key Questions (5/5)

• Identification of sources of pollution and modeling of pollution loads

• Implementation of intervention measures

• Assessment of effectiveness of intervention measures

• Water quality criteria, objectives and standards

• Water quality monitoring

• Policies, laws and regulations

Specific Needs of a Water Quality Management Strategy

• Relative contribution of various pollution sources remains unclear

• Need for collection of basic data

• Atmospheric deposition (60-80% TP load??)

• Biological N-fixation (80% TN load??)

• Storm water runoff characteristics (for more accurate estimation of NPS)

• Further development of Lake Victoria Physical Processes and Water Quality Model (LVEMP I)

Identification of Sources of Pollution and Modeling of Pollution Loads

• Urban point source control

• Critical “hot spots” are major shoreline urban centers (Kisumu, Entebe, Kampala, Musoma, Mwanza)

• PS significantly impacts sheltered bays and gulfs that have little exchange with the open lake

• Challenge is to fully operationalize existing STPs and expand coverage area

Implementation of Intervention Measures for Pollution Control (1/3)

• Urban non-point source control

• Need affordable sanitation options (ecological sanitation, bio-gas generation, etc)

• Solid waste management

• Agriculture and forestry non-point sources

• Basin-wide soil and water management, and afforestation

• Wetlands non-point source

• Concerted efforts to protect wetlands

Implementation of Intervention Measures for Pollution Control (2/3)

• Industrial sources

• Facilitation of appropriate technology transfer

• Atmospheric deposition

• Regional monitoring network

• Regional interventions targeting root causes (biomass burning, etc.)

Implementation of Intervention Measures for Pollution Control (3/3)

• How effective and efficient have various physical and managerial interventions been?

• Relevant research and applied studies

(Note: ILBM is in itself an evaluation framework---as well as a planning tool. There is need for further development these aspects of ILBM.)

Assessment of Effectiveness of Intervention Measures for Pollution Control

• Need to establish water quality standards at the regional level

• Need to set realistic and achievable targets under existing constraints (financial & technical)

Water Quality Criteria, Objectives and Standards

• Need to establish a regional water quality monitoring program

• Cover all basin countries (including Burundi and Rwanda)

• Monitoring during storm events

• Data management and information sharing at regional level

Water Quality Monitoring

• Harmonization of policy and legal frameworks at regional level

• However, the major task is enforcement

Policies, Laws and Regulations

Final Thoughts

• ILBM is a “Movement” to catalyze action from local-to-regional-to-global levels

• The challenge is to spread the “Movement” worldwide particularly in developing countries so that lakes get to the top of the agenda

• The key is to connect ILBM with the three pillars of “Poverty Eradication”

• Economic Development

• Social Development

• Governance

Final Thoughts

• Several materials from LBMI and Lake Basin Governance Project have been used

Acknowledgement

Thank you very much!