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DAM-L new report: Lake Victoria re ecosystem degradation and spp.
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Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2001 09:19:59 -0800
To: irn-safrica@netvista.net
From: Lori Pottinger <lori@irn.org>
Subject: New report on Lake Victoria/LS
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http://ens.lycos.com/ens/dec2000/2000L-12-01-11.html
Lake Victoria Battles Biodiversity Breakdown
NAIROBI, Kenya, December 1, 2000 (ENS) - For a lesson in how quickly
ecosystems fragment across international borders, a report today
suggests looking
no further than Lake Victoria.
Prior to 1970, Lake Victoria, the world's largest tropical lake, had
more than 350
species of fish from the cichlid family. Ninety percent of these
were unique to the lake.
The introduction of Nile perch and tilapia caused a collapse in the
lake's biodiversity and deforestation in the three countries that border
the lake, Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya.
Wood is needed to dry the oily perch, compared with the cichlids,
which could be air
dried. Forest clearing has increased siltation and eutrophication
in the lake,
jeopardizing the Nile perch and tilapia fishery - the cause of the
problem to begin with.
Often the result of human intervention, eutrophication is the
process by which a
water body is overwhelmed by plant life and nutrients at the expense
of oxygen.
While tons of perch find their way to diners in Europe, generating
$400 million in
annual export income, scientists document protein malnutrition among people
around the lake.
"Lake Victoria illustrates how profound and unpredictable trade offs
can be when
management decisions do not take into account how the ecosystem will react,"
said Dr. John Mugabe, executive director of African Centre for
Technology Studies.
"The poor, who often depend directly on ecosystems for their
livelihoods, suffer
most when ecosystems are degraded."
Mugabe was commenting on World Resources "2000-2001: People and
Ecosystems: The Fraying Web of Life." The report is a comprehensive
assessment of the world's ecosystems, conducted over four years by 175
scientists funded by the United Nations Development Program, the UN
Environment Program, the World Bank, and World Resources Institute.
It examines coastal, forest, grassland, and freshwater and
agricultural ecosystems
and analyzes their health on the basis of their ability to produce
the goods and
services that the world relies on.
These include production of food, provision of pure and sufficient
water, storage of
atmospheric carbon, maintenance of biodiversity and provision of
recreation and
tourism opportunities.
The report was presented this week in a panel discussion organized
by the African
Centre for Technology Studies. It marked the first time that the
results have been
publicly presented on the continent.
"The report paints a picture of Africa's ecosystems in serious trouble," said
Professor Reuben Olembo, chairman of Kenya's National Committee on the
Implementation of Environmental Management and Coordination Act.
"An important element of this report is its emphasis on human beings as an
integral part of ecosystems. It is a relationship too long ignored
by environmental scientists."
Statistics in the report are summarized graphically in an ecosystems
scorecard.
They paint a gloomy picture of over-fished oceans, creeping
desertification, and
destruction of coral reefs and forests.
Human population growth and poverty continue to drive the
decline of Africa's and the world's ecosystems, says the report.
As well as Lake Victoria's plight, the report highlights discusses
positive efforts to revive the hillsides of Machakos District
outside Nairobi and the national effort to restore the water supply
of South Africa
stolen by invasive plants.
The report's managing editor Janet Overton said the case studies
were chosen to
highlight ecosystem problems and management at local levels. "Through these
examples of success, we can identify the new heroes of the environmental
movement," said Overton.
The report recommends that governments and people view the sustainability of
Lake Victoria and other ecosystems as essential to African life. For
too long, it
says, people have focused on how many goods they can take from lakes and
other ecosystems, with little attention to the services that they provide.
Essential services like habitat for other species, climate control,
and nutrient
recycling cannot be replaced at any reasonable price, it warns.
It calls for an ecosystems approach to managing the world's critical
resources. This
means evaluating decisions on land and resource use based of how
they affect the
capacity of ecosystems to produce goods and services.
It adds these four recommendations:
Tackle the information gap. Managing ecosystems effectively requires a
detailed understanding of their current condition and how they function.
Engage in a public dialogue on goals, policies, and trade offs. Dramatic
improvements in ecosystem condition and capacity are possible when
governments and non-governmental organizations air diverse approaches
toward ecosystem management.
Recognize the value of ecosystem services. Removing subsidies and
explicitly pricing ecosystem services is politically difficult but
can promote
efficient resource use.
Involve local communities in managing ecosystems. Local communities are
often the most prudent ecosystem managers. Involving local communities
can also yield a more equitable distribution of the benefits and
costs of ecosystem use.
For the 30 million people who depend on Lake Victoria for food and
employment,
the last recommendation will be particularly welcome.
--
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lori Pottinger, Director, Southern Africa Program,
and Editor, World Rivers Review
International Rivers Network
1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA
Tel. (510) 848 1155 Fax (510) 848 1008
http://www.irn.org
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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<html><head><style type="text/css"><!--
blockquote, dl, ul, ol, li { margin-top: 0 ; margin-bottom: 0 }
--></style><title>New report on Lake Victoria/LS</title></head><body>
<div>Approved: flamenco</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>http://ens.lycos.com/ens/dec2000/2000L-12-01-11.html</div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><br>
</font><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> Lake
Victoria Battles Biodiversity Breakdown<br>
<br>
NAIROBI, Kenya, December 1, 2000 (ENS) - For a lesson in how
quickly<br>
ecosystems fragment across international borders, a report today
suggests looking<br>
no further than Lake Victoria.<br>
<br>
Prior to 1970, Lake Victoria, the world's largest tropical lake,
had more than 350</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> species of
fish from the cichlid family. Ninety percent of these were unique to
the lake.</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> </font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> The
introduction of Nile perch and tilapia caused a collapse in
the</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> lake's
biodiversity and deforestation in the three countries that
border</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> the lake,
Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya.</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"><br>
Wood is needed to dry the oily perch, compared with the
cichlids, which could be air<br>
dried. Forest clearing has increased siltation and
eutrophication in the lake,</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> jeopardizing
the Nile perch and tilapia fishery - the cause of the problem to begin
with.</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"><br>
Often the result of human intervention, eutrophication is the
process by which a<br>
water body is overwhelmed by plant life and nutrients at the
expense of oxygen.<br>
<br>
While tons of perch find their way to diners in Europe,
generating $400 million in<br>
annual export income, scientists document protein malnutrition
among people<br>
around the lake.<br>
<br>
"Lake Victoria illustrates how profound and unpredictable
trade offs can be when<br>
management decisions do not take into account how the ecosystem
will react,"<br>
said Dr. John Mugabe, executive director of African Centre for
Technology Studies.<br>
<br>
"The poor, who often depend directly on ecosystems for
their livelihoods, suffer</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> most when
ecosystems are degraded."</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> </font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> Mugabe was
commenting on World Resources "2000-2001: People and</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> Ecosystems:
The Fraying Web of Life." The report is a
comprehensive</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> assessment of
the world's ecosystems, conducted over four years by
175</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> scientists
funded by the United Nations Development Program, the UN</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> Environment
Program, the World Bank, and World Resources Institute.</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"><br>
It examines coastal, forest, grassland, and freshwater and
agricultural ecosystems<br>
and analyzes their health on the basis of their ability to
produce the goods and<br>
services that the world relies on.<br>
<br>
These include production of food, provision of pure and
sufficient water, storage of<br>
atmospheric carbon, maintenance of biodiversity and provision of
recreation and<br>
tourism opportunities.<br>
<br>
The report was presented this week in a panel discussion
organized by the African<br>
Centre for Technology Studies. It marked the first time that the
results have been<br>
publicly presented on the continent.<br>
<br>
"The report paints a picture of Africa's ecosystems in
serious trouble," said<br>
Professor Reuben Olembo, chairman of Kenya's National Committee
on the<br>
Implementation of Environmental Management and Coordination
Act.<br>
<br>
"An important element of this report is its emphasis on
human beings as an</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> integral part
of ecosystems. It is a relationship too long ignored by environmental
scientists."<br>
<br>
Statistics in the report are summarized graphically in an
ecosystems scorecard.<br>
They paint a gloomy picture of over-fished oceans, creeping
desertification, and</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> destruction of
coral reefs and forests.</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> </font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> Human
population growth and poverty continue to drive the</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> decline of
Africa's and the world's ecosystems, says the report.</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> As well as
Lake Victoria's plight, the report highlights discusses</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> positive
efforts to revive the hillsides of Machakos District</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> outside
Nairobi and the national effort to restore the water supply of South
Africa<br>
stolen by invasive plants.<br>
<br>
The report's managing editor Janet Overton said the case studies
were chosen to<br>
highlight ecosystem problems and management at local levels.
"Through these<br>
examples of success, we can identify the new heroes of the
environmental<br>
movement," said Overton.<br>
<br>
The report recommends that governments and people view the
sustainability of<br>
Lake Victoria and other ecosystems as essential to African life.
For too long, it</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> says, people
have focused on how many goods they can take from lakes
and</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> other
ecosystems, with little attention to the services that they
provide.<br>
<br>
Essential services like habitat for other species, climate
control, and nutrient<br>
recycling cannot be replaced at any reasonable price, it
warns.<br>
<br>
It calls for an ecosystems approach to managing the world's
critical resources. This<br>
means evaluating decisions on land and resource use based of how
they affect the<br>
capacity of ecosystems to produce goods and services.<br>
<br>
It adds these four recommendations:<br>
<br>
Tackle the information gap. Managing ecosystems effectively
requires a<br>
detailed understanding of their current condition and how they
function.<br>
<br>
Engage in a public dialogue on goals, policies, and trade offs.
Dramatic<br>
improvements in ecosystem condition and capacity are possible
when<br>
governments and non-governmental organizations air diverse
approaches<br>
toward ecosystem management.<br>
<br>
Recognize the value of ecosystem services. Removing subsidies
and<br>
explicitly pricing ecosystem services is politically difficult
but can promote<br>
efficient resource use.<br>
<br>
Involve local communities in managing ecosystems. Local
communities are<br>
often the most prudent ecosystem managers. Involving local
communities</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"> can also yield
a more equitable distribution of the benefits and costs of ecosystem
use.</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+1" color="#000000"><br>
For the 30 million people who depend on Lake Victoria for food
and employment,<br>
the last recommendation will be particularly
welcome.</font></div>
<div>-- <br>
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::<span
></span>:::<br>
Lori Pottinger, Director, Southern
Africa Program,<br>
and Editor, World Rivers
Review<br>
International Rivers Network<br>
<span
></span> 1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703,
USA<br>
<span
></span> Tel. (510) 848
1155 Fax (510) 848 1008<br>
<span
></span
>
http://www.irn.org<br>
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::<span
></span>:::</div>
</body>
</html>
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