Restoring Hope: Collaborative Efforts to Save Lake Victoria

A Lifeline Under Threat

Lake Victoria is more than just a body of water—it is the lifeblood of East Africa, sustaining over 47 million people across five countries. With its shores spanning Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, and its upper watershed extending into Rwanda and Burundi, the lake provides water, food, and livelihoods for millions of people.

But beneath its surface, a crisis is unfolding. Over the past 40 years, Lake Victoria’s water quality has declined due to pollution from agricultural runoff, untreated wastewater, and industrial waste. If urgent action is not taken, the lake’s deterioration could deepen poverty, increase environmental risks, and threaten the region’s long-term sustainability.

Urbanization and the Growing Strain

A recent World Bank study shows that a growing share of pollution in Lake Victoria stems from human settlements and industrial activities. Many settlements around the lake lack access to improved sanitation, and with overstretched municipal services and no comprehensive wastewater treatment, untreated sewage flows into the lake.

Poor sanitation pollutes the lake and threatens public health, fueling the spread of diseases like diarrhea, dysentery, and bilharzia. Frequent flooding intensifies contamination, increasing the risk of outbreaks and putting both communities and biodiversity at risk.

A Holistic Approach to a Regional Challenge

Years of experience from multiple World Bank-funded projects in the region have shown that no single effort can solve the complex, cross-border pollution issues in the Lake Victoria Basin. A coordinated, multi-sector approach is crucial to restoring water quality.

The Lake Victoria Basin Commission is leading efforts through the Lakewide Inclusive Sanitation (LWIS) Strategy, developed in partnership with the region’s countries. The Lake Victoria Basin Commission has brought together stakeholders from each country to jointly tackle the issues of poor sanitation on the lake. It is the body responsible for coordinating the sustainable development and management of the basin across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi under the East African Community.

To help develop the LWIS Strategy, sanitation assessments were carried out in 57 urban settlements across the five Lake Victoria Basin countries. In addition, strategic sanitation action plans were created for four cities in four of the countries to show how LWIS approaches can be applied in different types of urban areas. These analyses focused on the need for integrated sanitation services, including waste, drainage, and solid waste management. The findings from these assessments and plans were used to estimate the overall sanitation needs in the basin. The strategy combines solutions for urban sanitation, stormwater drainage, and waste management to reduce pollution in the lake, improve public health, and create economic opportunities. To further support these efforts, Earth observation technology was launched to monitor water quality in the lake, helping track improvements and guide future action.

Blueprint for Regional Transformation

Implementing the LWIS Strategy requires not only a strong, coordinated effort but also significant funding. An estimated $1.9 billion is needed to fully roll out the strategy across the basin and invest in sustainable sanitation systems that will protect the lake. Although this investment is considerable and will require tapping into diverse financing sources, including private sector funding, the benefits are immense. A cleaner Lake Victoria will lead to a healthier ecosystem, stronger economies, and better lives for millions of people. Moreover, private sector involvement could create almost 70,000 jobs over the next decade.

By adopting the strategy and moving forward with its implementation, the five basin countries, alongside the East African Community and the Lake Victoria Basin Commission, have shown a united commitment to safeguarding Lake Victoria’s water quality and enhancing the livelihoods of its basin communities.

Through this collaborative effort, the region has the potential to set a global benchmark for how partnerships can foster both environmental sustainability and economic growth. The strategy presents a clear, actionable framework that brings together governments, businesses, and local communities to transform Lake Victoria into a model of resilience and prosperity for generations to come.