Dar es Salaam, 26 February 2025 – The governments of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Zambia have launched a five-year project to assess and address transboundary threats to the biodiversity of the Lake Tanganyika Basin. The initiative will protect core conservation zones in three identified protected areas and promote sustainable natural resource use in protected areas and their buffer zones.
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP)-led initiative, Biodiversity conservation, sustainable land management and enhanced water security in Lake Tanganyika Basin, is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and aims to enhance transboundary cooperation among the four countries bordering Lake Tanganyika. It will also promote sustainable fisheries, biodiversity conservation, and the restoration of degraded landscapes in the basin.
“Through this transformative project, we are taking concrete steps to reverse biodiversity loss, promote sustainable fisheries, and restore the health of the lake for current and future generations,” stated Sylvain Tusanga Mukanga, Executive Director of the Lake Tanganyika Authority.
Some of the high priority intervention areas for the project include: establishing standards for acceptable fishing practices, including appropriate fishing gears, optimum mesh sizes and fishing quotas, protecting critical habitats, increasing community involvement in fisheries management and promoting sustainable livelihood alternatives among several others.
Globally, lake degradation continues to be reported as a growing concern and an international crisis. Over the last century alone, an estimated 84 per cent population decline in freshwater species has been witnessed, raising fears of species extinction and posing risks to the integrity of freshwater and surrounding ecosystems. These consequences can be largely attributed to inadequate or un-coordinated lake management approaches worldwide resulting in nutrient pollution from agriculture and wastewater, plastic pollution, hydrological alteration, industrial waste discharges, invasive species infestations, overexploitation, habitat destruction and other pressing environmental challenges, especially climate change.
The Lake Tanganyika Basin, with a population of over 10 million people, is internationally recognised as a global biodiversity hotspot. However, the lake’s biodiversity is under serious threat, exacerbated by the increasing human populations, their intensified usage of natural resources, and climate change.
“We have a moral duty to safeguard nature,” said Doreen Robinson, the Head of Biodiversity and Land Branch at UNEP. “As we pursue our common quest towards the global societal goal of halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030 and accelerating the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, I am encouraged by this bold step taken by the four countries to launch this nature-positive initiative to reverse land degradation and protect vital biodiversity in the Lake Tanganyika Basin.”
Already, global projections estimate that by 2050, the value of lake ecosystem services, currently valued at USD 3 trillion, could decrease by up to 20 per cent, while nutrient pollution from agriculture and wastewater is expected to at least double, costing hundreds of billions of dollars annually to address.
Currently, freshwater biodiversity decline is twice the rate of decline of biodiversity in terrestrial and marine biomes.
This USD 14.5 million project is executed by UNOPS and involves the Lake Tanganyika Authority as a strategic partner. It builds on the collaborative partnership foundation laid by the Convention on the Sustainable Management of Lake Tanganyika and the contracting states that was adopted in 2003.
“The launch of this multi-country initiative marks a significant step forward in our collective responsibility to protect and restore one of the world's most vital freshwater ecosystems,” said Rainer Frauenfeld, UNOPS Director for Eastern and Southern Africa.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
About the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
About the Global Environment Facility
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a multilateral fund dedicated to confronting biodiversity loss, climate change, pollution, and strains on land and ocean health. Its grants, blended financing, and policy support helps developing countries address their biggest environmental priorities and adhere to international environmental conventions. Over the past three decades, the GEF has provided more than USD 25 billion in financing and mobilized another USD 145 billion for more than 5,700 national and regional projects.
About UNOPS
UNOPS mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development. It helps the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, and deliver sustainable infrastructure and procurement in an efficient way. With decades of practical infrastructure experience, UNOPS is committed to supporting climate action and tackling the climate emergency.
For more information, please contact:
News and Media Unit, UN Environment Programme
Samwel Adawo, Communication Specialist, UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
Leticia Wanyagi, Communications Analyst, UNOPS
