Lake Victoria crisis: Rising water levels devastate communities, fish population

By Daniel Sebakijje

Lake Victoria, a vital source of livelihood for millions, is facing an unprecedented crisis. Rising water levels have displaced communities, destroyed markets, and threatened the fish population, a crucial part of Uganda's economy.

Nakiwogo market in Wakiso District, once a bustling hub, has been flooded for months. Vendors are struggling to survive, and many are counting significant losses.

Marine Life Under Threat

The impact of rising water levels goes beyond human livelihoods. Marine life is also under threat. The Nile Perch, a prized fish species, has become scarce.

Grace Barya, a veteran fish vendor, explains how the price of ‘Mpuuta’ (Nile Perch) has soared.

“We used to buy a kilogramme of Nile Perch at Shs8,500 to Shs10,000, but these days we get the same amount for close to Shs15,000,” Barya says.

Fish Scarcity Closes Companies

Patrick Byamukama, a senior fisheries officer at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, reveals that several fish processing companies have closed in the past four years due to fish scarcity, largely caused by climate change.

“Since 2020, about 10 fish processing companies have closed, and those that have remained are at the brink of closing because they lack Nile Perch, which is their main raw material.”

Human Activities Worsen Crisis

Byamukama adds that human activities like encroaching on wetlands have contributed to the crisis.

“People need to stop building in wetlands. The wetlands act as sponges and limit the foreign bodies that enter the lake, therefore protecting the fish.”

Government Takes Action

The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has embarked on a country-wide demolition of houses built in wetlands.

President Museveni has also cautioned citizens against building in wetlands. “I passed an executive order for the arrest of anyone found building in wetlands, but I don’t know how it was not implemented.”

Urgent Action Needed

Uganda joins the global fight against climate change, aligning with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 13. The clock is ticking, and urgent action is needed to mitigate the effects of climate change on Lake Victoria and the communities that depend on it.