Lake Victoria - Wikipedia

Lake Victoria - Wikipedia
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Coordinates
1°S
33°E
 / 
1°S 33°E
 /
-1; 33
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For other places with the same name, see
Lake Victoria (disambiguation)
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Lake in East-central Africa
Lake Victoria
Ukerewe
Swahili
'Nnalubaale
Luganda
Nyanza
Kinyarwanda
Nam Lolwe
Dholuo
Lake Victoria partially obscured by clouds taken on the
International Space Station
Lake Victoria
Location
African Great Lakes
Coordinates
1°S
33°E
 / 
1°S 33°E
 /
-1; 33
Primary inflows
Kagera River
Primary outflows
White Nile
Catchment area
169,858 km
(65,583 sq mi)
229,815 km
(88,732 sq mi) basin
Basin
countries
Burundi
Kenya
Rwanda
Tanzania
, and
Uganda
Max. length
359 km (223 mi)
Max. width
337 km (209 mi)
Surface area
59,947 km
(23,146 sq mi)
page needed
Average depth
40.4 m (133 ft)
Max. depth
81 m (266 ft)
Water volume
2,424 km
(582 mi
Shore length
7,142 km (4,438 mi)
Surface elevation
1,135 m (3,724 ft)
Islands
985 (
Ukerewe Island
, Tanzania;
Ssese Islands
Uganda;
Maboko Island
, Kenya)
Settlements
Bukoba
, Tanzania
Mwanza
, Tanzania
Musoma
, Tanzania
Kisumu
, Kenya
Kendu Bay
, Kenya
Homa Bay
, Kenya
Kampala
, Uganda
Entebbe
, Uganda
Jinja
, Uganda
Shore length is
not a well-defined measure
Victoria Nyanza. The black line indicates Stanley's route.
Lake Victoria
is one of the
African Great Lakes
With a surface area of approximately 59,947 km
(23,146 sq mi),
page needed
Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest
tropical
lake,
and the world's second-largest
fresh water
lake by surface area after
Lake Superior
in North America.
10
In terms of volume, Lake Victoria is the world's
ninth-largest continental lake
, containing about 2,424 km
(1.965
10
acre⋅ft) of water.
11
Lake Victoria occupies a shallow
depression
in Africa. The lake has an average depth of 40 m (130 ft) and a maximum depth of 80–81 m (262–266 ft).
11
12
Its
catchment area
covers 169,858 km
(65,583 sq mi).
13
The lake has a shoreline of 7,142 km (4,438 mi) when digitized at the 1:25,000 level,
14
page needed
with islands constituting 3.7% of this length.
15
page needed
The lake's area is divided among three countries:
Tanzania
occupies 49% (33,700 km
(13,000 sq mi)),
Uganda
45% (31,000 km
(12,000 sq mi)), and
Kenya
6% (4,100 km
(1,600 sq mi)).
16
The lake is home to many species of fish which live nowhere else, especially
cichlids
Invasive
fish, such as the
Nile perch
, have driven many
endemic
species to
extinction
Names
edit
Though having multiple local language names (
Swahili
Ukerewe
Dholuo
Nam Lolwe
Luganda
'Nnalubaale
Kinyarwanda
Nyanza
),
17
18
the lake was renamed after
Queen Victoria
by the explorer
John Hanning Speke
, the first
Briton
to document it in 1858, while on an expedition with
Richard Francis Burton
19
20
Geology
edit
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needs additional
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to
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Topographical map of Lake Victoria
Photojournalist
John Reader
, writing in his Alan Paton Literary Award-winning
Africa: A Biography of a Continent
21
describes Lake Victoria as being relatively geologically young at about 400,000-years old—having been formed as westward-flowing rivers were backed up "when a fractured block of the Earth's crust tilted along the line of the Great Rift Valley, raising its western edge".
22
better source needed
A primary study, attempting "fluvial differentiation of the basin of Lake Victoria", draws several relevant tentative conclusions. First, during the
Miocene
era, what is now the catchment area of the lake was on the western side of an uplifted area that functioned as a continental divide, with streams on the western side flowing into the
Congo River
basin and streams on the eastern side flowing to the Indian Ocean. Second, as the
East African Rift
System formed, the eastern wall of the
Albertine Rift
(or Western Rift) rose, gradually reversing the drainage towards what is now Lake Victoria. Third, the opening of the main East African Rift and the Albertine Rift downwarped the area between them as the rift walls rose, creating the current Lake Victoria
basin
23
non-primary source needed
During its geological history, Lake Victoria went through changes ranging from its present shallow depression, through to what may have been a series of much smaller lakes.
15
page needed
needs update
Geological cores
taken from its bottom show Lake Victoria has dried up completely at least three times since it formed.
22
better source needed
These drying cycles are probably related to
past ice ages
, which were times when
precipitation
declined globally.
22
better source needed
According to another primary source, Lake Victoria last dried out about 17,300 years ago, and it refilled 14,700 years ago
24
non-primary source needed
—as the
African humid period
began.
25
Hydrology and limnology
edit
Lake Victoria receives 80 percent of its water from direct rainfall.
15
page needed
Average evaporation on the lake is between 2.0 and 2.2 metres (6 ft 7 in and 7 ft 3 in) per year, almost double the precipitation of
riparian
areas.
26
Lake Victoria receives its water additionally from rivers, and thousands of small
streams
. The
Kagera River
is the largest river flowing into this lake, with its
mouth
on the lake's western shore. Lake Victoria is drained solely by the
Nile River
near
Jinja
, Uganda on the lake's northern shore.
27
Lake Victoria and the
Great Rift Valley
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In the Kenya sector, the main influent rivers are the
Sio
Nzoia
Yala
Nyando
Sondu Miriu
Mogusi
, and
Migori
. The only outflow from Lake Victoria is the Nile River, which exits the lake near Jinja, Uganda. In terms of contributed water, this makes Lake Victoria the principal source of the longest branch of the Nile. However, the most distal source of the Nile Basin, and therefore the ultimate
source of the Nile
, is more often considered to be one of the tributary rivers of the Kagera River (the exact tributary remains undetermined), and which originates in either
Rwanda
or
Burundi
. The uppermost section of the Nile is generally known as the Victoria Nile until it reaches
Lake Albert
. Although it is a part of the same river system known as the
White Nile
and is occasionally referred to as such, strictly speaking this name does not apply until after the river crosses the Uganda border into South Sudan to the north.
The lake exhibits
eutrophic conditions
. In 1990–1991, oxygen concentrations in the mixed layer were higher than in 1960–1961, with nearly continuous oxygen supersaturation in surface waters. Oxygen concentrations in
hypolimnetic waters
(i.e., the layer of water that lies below the
thermocline
, is noncirculating, and remains perpetually cold) were lower in 1990–1991 for a longer period than in 1960–1961, with values of less than 1 mg per litre (< 0.4
gr
/cu ft) occurring in water as shallow as 40 metres (130 ft) compared with a shallowest occurrence of greater than 50 metres (160 ft) in 1961. The changes in oxygenation are considered consistent with measurements of higher algal biomass and productivity.
28
These changes have arisen for multiple reasons: successive burning within its basin,
29
soot and ash from which has been deposited over the lake's wide area; from increased nutrient inflows via rivers,
30
and from increased pollution associated with settlement along its shores.
31
Between 2010 and 2022, the surface area of Lake Victoria increased by 15%
32
flooding lakeside communities.
33
Bathymetry
edit
Lake Victoria
bathymetric
model
34
The lake is a shallow lake considering its large geographic area with a maximum depth of approximately 80 metres (260 ft) and an average depth of 40 metres (130 ft).
35
A 2016 project digitized ten-thousand points and created the first true bathymetric map of the lake.
34
The deepest part of the lake is offset to the east of the lake near Kenya and the lake is generally shallower in the west along the Ugandan shoreline and the south along the Tanzanian shoreline.
34
Native wildlife
edit
Mammals
edit
Many mammal species live in the region of Lake Victoria, and some of these are closely associated with the lake itself and the nearby wetlands. Among these are the
hippopotamus
African clawless otter
spotted-necked otter
marsh mongoose
sitatunga
bohor reedbuck
defassa waterbuck
cane rats
, and
giant otter shrew
36
page needed
Reptiles
edit
Lake Victoria and its wetlands has a large population of
Nile crocodiles
, as well as
African helmeted turtles
variable mud turtles
, and
Williams' mud turtle
37
page needed
The Williams' mud turtle is restricted to Lake Victoria and other lakes, rivers, and swamps in the upper Nile basin.
37
page needed
Cichlid fish
edit
Unlike many other Lake Victoria cichlids,
Haplochromis nyererei
remains common.
38
Compared to several other cichlids, its eyes are particularly sensitive to light, especially red, which is less affected by the decrease in water clarity caused by
eutrophication
than
short wavelength colors
39
Lake Victoria formerly was very rich in fish, including many endemics, but a high percentage of these became extinct since the 1940s.
40
The main group in Lake Victoria is the
haplochromine
cichlids (
Haplochromis
sensu lato
) with more than 500 species, almost all endemic,
24
41
42
and including an estimated 300 that still are
undescribed
43
This is far more species of fish than any other lake in the world, except
Lake Malawi
44
These are the result of a rapid
adaptive radiation
in the last circa 15,000 years.
24
41
45
Their extraordinary diversity and speed of
evolution
have been the subjects for many scientists studying the forces that drive the richness of life everywhere.
41
46
The Victoria haplochromines are part of an older group of more than 700 closely related species, also including those of several smaller lakes in the region, notably
Kyoga
Edward
George
, Albert, and
Kivu
24
41
Most of these lakes are relatively shallow (like Victoria) and part of the present-day upper Nile basin. The exception is Lake Kivu, which is part of the present-day
Congo River basin
, but is believed to have been connected to Lakes Edward and Victoria by rivers until the uplifting of parts of the
East African Rift
24
This deep lake may have functioned as an "evolutionary reservoir" for this haplochromine group in periods where other shallower lakes in the region dried out, as happened to Lake Victoria about 15,000 years ago.
24
In recent history only Lake Kyoga was easily accessible to Victoria cichlids, as further downstream movement by the
Victoria Nile
(to Lake Albert) is prevented by a series of waterfalls, notably
Murchison
. In contrast, the
Owen Falls
(now flooded by a
dam
) between Victoria and Kyoga were essentially a series of rapids that did not effectively block fish movements between the two lakes.
47
Haplochromis thereuterion
survives in low numbers.
48
Initially feared extinct, when rediscovered it had changed habitat (from near surface to rocky outcrops) and feeding behavior (from surface insects to insect larvae)
49
The Victoria haplochromines are distinctly
sexually dimorphic
(males relatively brightly colored; females dull),
50
and their ecology is extremely diverse, falling into at least 16 groups, including
detritivores
zooplanktivores
insectivores
, prawn-eaters,
molluscivores
and
piscivores
46
As a result of predation by the introduced
Nile perch
eutrophication
and other changes to the ecosystem, it is estimated that at least 200 species (about 40 percent) of Lake Victoria haplochromines have become extinct,
42
46
51
including more than 100 undescribed species.
43
Initially it was feared that this number was even higher, by some estimates 65 percent of the total species,
52
but several species that were feared extinct have been rediscovered after the Nile perch started to decline in the 1990s.
46
53
Several of the remaining species are seriously threatened and additional extinctions are possible.
54
Some species have survived in nearby small satellite lakes,
53
have survived in refugias among rocks or
papyrus sedges
(protecting them from the Nile perch),
55
or have adapted to the human-induced changes in the lake itself.
46
51
Such adaptions include a larger
gill
area (adaption for oxygen-poor water), changes in the feeding apparatus, changes to the eyes (giving them better sight in turbid water)
39
46
and smaller head/larger
caudal peduncle
(allowing faster swimming).
56
The piscivorous (affected by both predation and competition from Nile perch
57
), molluscivorous and insectivorous haplochromines were particularly hard hit with many extinctions.
46
Others have become extinct in their pure form, but survive as
hybrids
between close relatives (especially among the detritivores).
42
46
The zooplanktivores have been least affected and in the late 1990s had reached densities similar to, or above, the densities before the drastic declines, although consisting of fewer species and often switching their diet towards
macroinvertebrates
39
46
Some of the threatened Lake Victoria cichlid species have captive "insurance" populations in zoos,
public aquaria
and among private aquarists, and a few species are
extinct in the wild
(only survive in captivity).
58
59
60
61
62
Before the mass extinction that has occurred among the lake's cichlids in the last 50 years, about 90 percent of the native fish species in the lake were haplochromines.
40
Disregarding the haplochromines, the only native Victoria cichlids are two
critically endangered
tilapia, the
Singida tilapia
or
ngege
Oreochromis esculentus
) and
Victoria tilapia
O. variabilis
).
63
64
In 1927–1928
Michael Graham
conducted the first ever systematic
Fisheries Survey of Lake Victoria
. In his official report of the expedition, Graham wrote that "The ngege or satu
Tilapia esculenta
, is the most important food fish of the lake, whether for native or non-native consumption. No other fish equals it in the quality of the flesh. It is convenient size for trade, travels well and is found in much greater numbers than other important fish, such as semutundu (Luganda),
Bagrus sp.
".
65
Furthermore, Graham noted that the introduction of the European flax
gill net
of 5 inch mesh had undoubtedly caused a diminution in the number of ngege in those parts of the Kavirondo Gulf, the northern shore of the lake, the Sesse Islands and Smith's Sound which are conveniently situated close to markets.
65
Survey catches in 1927–28 included several
Haplochromis
species that are now thought to be extinct, including:
Haplochromis flavipinnis
Haplochromis gowersii
Haplochromis longirostris
Haplochromis macrognathus
Haplochromis michaeli
Haplochromis nigrescens
Haplochromis prognathus
View at Lake Victoria in Uganda
Nile monitor lizard, Lake Victoria.
As well as being due to the introduction of
Nile perch
, the extinction of cichlids in the genus
Haplochromis
has also been blamed on the lake's eutrophication. The fertility of tropical waters depends on the rate at which nutrients can be brought into solution. The influent rivers of Lake Victoria provide few nutrients to the lake in relation to its size. Because of this, most of Lake Victoria's nutrients are thought to be locked up in lake-bottom deposits.
15
page needed
66
By itself, this vegetative matter decays slowly. Animal flesh decays considerably faster, however, so the fertility of the lake is dependent on the rate at which these nutrients can be taken up by fish and other organisms.
66
There is little doubt that
Haplochromis
played an important role in returning detritus and plankton back into solution.
67
68
69
With some 80 percent of
Haplochromis
species feeding off detritus, and equally capable of feeding off one another, they represented a tight, internal recycling system, moving nutrients and biomass both vertically and horizontally through the water column, and even out of the lake via predation by humans and terrestrial animals.
67
The removal of
Haplochromis
, however, may have contributed to the increasing frequency of
algal blooms
30
68
69
which may in turn be responsible for mass
fish kills
30
Other fish
edit
The non-cichlid native fish include African tetras (
Brycinus
), cyprinids (
Enteromius
Garra
Labeo
Labeobarbus
Rastrineobola
and
Xenobarbus
), airbreathing catfish (
Clariallabes
Clarias
and
Xenoclarias
), bagrid catfish (
Bagrus
), loach catfish (
Amphilius
and
Zaireichthys
),
silver butter catfish
Schilbe intermedius
),
Synodontis
squeaker catfish,
Nothobranchius
killifish, poeciliids (
Aplocheilichthys
and
Micropanchax
), the spiny eel
Mastacembelus
frenatus
, elephantfish (
Gnathonemus
Hippopotamyrus
Marcusenius
Mormyrus
Petrocephalus
, and
Pollimyrus
), the climbing gourami
Ctenopoma
muriei
and
marbled lungfish
Protopterus aethiopicus
).
70
Map of Lake Victoria
At a genus level, most of these are widespread in Africa, but the very rare
Xenobarbus
and
Xenoclarias
are endemic to the lake, and the common
Rastrineobola
is near-endemic.
70
A restocking effort for the native tilapia species
Oreochromis esculentus
in Lake Victoria involved
Conservation International Kenya
, Victory Farms, and the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute.
71
72
73
Crustaceans
edit
Four species of
freshwater crabs
are known from Lake Victoria:
Potamonautes niloticus
is widespread in the lake and
P. emini
has been recorded from the vicinity of
Bukoba
in Tanzania, but both are also found elsewhere in Africa.
74
75
The last were first scientifically described in 2017 and very little is known about them:
P. entebbe
is only known from near
Entebbe
(the only known specimen was collected in 1955 and it is unknown if it was in or near the lake) and
P. busungwe
only at Busungwe Island in the northwestern part of the lake. The latter likely is the smallest African freshwater crab with a carapace width up to about 1.6 cm (0.6 in), although
P. kantsyore
of
Kagera River
, and
Platythelphusa
maculata
and
P. polita
of Lake Tanganyika are almost as small.
76
Lake Victoria from a wider angle.
The only shrimp/prawn is
Caridina nilotica
77
which is common and widespread in Lake Victoria.
46
Molluscs
edit
Lake Victoria is home to 28 species of
freshwater snails
(e.g.,
Bellamya
Biomphalaria
Bulinus
Cleopatra
Gabbiella
, and
Melanoides
), including 12 endemic species/subspecies.
78
79
page needed
There are 17 species of
bivalves
Corbicula
Coelatura
Sphaerium
, and
Byssanodonta
), including 6 endemic species and subspecies.
78
80
It is likely that undescribed species of snails remain. Conversely, genetic studies indicate that some
morphologically
distinctive populations, traditionally regarded as separate species, may only be variants of single species.
43
Two of the snail genera,
Biomphalaria
and
Bulinus
, are
intermediate hosts
of the parasite that causes
bilharzia
(schistosomiasis). Human infections by this parasite are common at Lake Victoria.
81
This may increase as a result of the spread of the invasive water hyacinth (an optimum snail habitat),
82
and the loss of many snail-eating cichlids in the lake.
83
Spiders
edit
Evarcha culicivora
is a species of jumping spider (family
Salticidae
) found only around Lake Victoria in Kenya and Uganda. It feeds primarily on female mosquitos.
84
Fisheries
edit
Fishers and their boats on the shore of Lake Victoria
Main article:
Fishing on Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria supports Africa's largest inland
fishery
(as of 1997).
85
Initially the fishery involved native species, especially tilapia and haplochromine cichlids, but also catfish (
Bagrus
Clarias
Synodontis
and silver butter catfish), elephantfish,
ningu
Labeo victorianus
) and marbled lungfish (
Protopterus aethiopicus
).
86
87
Some of these, including tilapia and ningu (
Labeo victorianus
), had already declined in the first half of the 20th century due to
overfishing
46
88
To boost fishing, several species of non-native tilapia and Nile perch were introduced to the lake in the 1950s. Nevertheless, the natives continued to dominate fisheries until the 1970s where their decline meant that there was a strong shift towards the non-native
Nile tilapia
(now 7 percent of catches), non-native Nile perch (60 percent) and the native
Lake Victoria sardine
(30 percent).
46
87
Because of its small size, the abundant open-water Lake Victoria sardine only supported minor fisheries until the decline of other natives.
87
At the peak in the early 1990s, 500,000 tonnes (490,000 long tons; 550,000 short tons) of Nile perch were landed annually in Lake Victoria, but this has declined significantly in later years.
46
Environmental issues
edit
A number of
environmental issues
are associated with Lake Victoria and the complete disappearance of many endemic cichlid species has been called the "most dramatic example of human-caused extinctions within an ecosystem".
54
Invasive fish
edit
Starting in the 1950s, many species have been
introduced
to Lake Victoria where they have become
invasive
and a prime reason for the extinction of many
endemic
haplochromine
cichlids.
40
Among the introductions are several
tilapias
redbreast
Coptodon rendalli
),
redbelly
C. zillii
), Nile (
Oreochromis niloticus
) and
blue-spotted tilapias
O. leucostictus
).
46
87
89
Although these have contributed to the extinction of native fish by causing significant changes to the
ecosystem
, outcompeted natives and (in the case of the Nile tilapia) possibly hybridized with the highly threatened native tilapias, the most infamous introduction was the large and highly predatory
Nile perch
Lates niloticus
).
40
46
87
The
Nile perch
was introduced to Lake Victoria for fishing, and can reach up to 2 m (6.6 ft) and 200 kg (440 lb).
90
As early as the 1920s, it was proposed to introduce a large pelagic predator such as the Nile perch to improve the fisheries in the lake. At the same time it was warned that this could present a serious danger to the native fish species and required extensive research into possible ecological effects before done.
89
These warnings primarily concerned the native tilapia
O. esculentus
, as the smaller haplochromine cichlids (despite playing an important role in local fisheries) were regarded as "trash fish" by the colonial government.
89
In the following decades, the pressure to introduce the Nile perch continued, as did warnings about the possible effects of doing it.
89
The first introduction of Nile perch to the region, done by the
Uganda Game and Fisheries Department
(then part of the colonial government) and local African fish guards, happened upstream of Murchison Falls directly after the completion of the Owen Falls Dam in 1954. This allowed it to spread to Lake Kyoga where additional Nile perch were released in 1955, but not Victoria itself.
89
Scientists argued that further introduction should wait until research showed the effect of the introduction in Kyoga, but by the late 1950s, Nile perch began being caught in Lake Victoria.
89
As the species was already present, there were few objections when more Nile perch were transferred to Victoria to further bolster the stock in 1962–63.
89
The origin of the first Victoria introductions in the 1950s is not entirely clear and indisputable evidence is lacking. Uganda Game and Fisheries Department (UGFD) officials denied that they were involved, but circumstantial evidence suggests otherwise and local Africans employed by UGFD have said that they introduced the species in 1954–55 under the directive of senior officials.
89
UGFD officials argued that Nile perch must have spread to Lake Victoria by themselves by passing through the Owen Falls Dam when shut down for maintenance, but this is considered highly unlikely by many scientists.
89
The Nile perch had spread throughout the lake by 1970.
46
Initially the population of the Nile perch was relatively low, but a drastic increase happened, peaking in the 1980s, followed by a decline starting in the 1990s.
46
Water hyacinth invasion
edit
Main article:
Water hyacinth in Lake Victoria
hyacinth
-choked lakeshore at
Ndere Island
, Lake Victoria,
Kenya
The
water hyacinth
has become a major
invasive plant species
in Lake Victoria.
The release of large amounts of untreated wastewater (sewage) and agricultural and industrial runoff directly into Lake Victoria over the past 30 years has greatly increased the nutrient levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in the lake "triggering massive growth of exotic water hyacinth, which colonised the lake in the late 1990s".
91
92
This invasive weed creates anoxic (total depletion of oxygen levels) conditions in the lake, inhibiting decomposing plant material, raising toxicity and disease levels to both fish and people. At the same time, the plant's mat or "web" creates a barrier for boats and ferries to maneuver, impedes access to the shoreline, interferes with hydroelectric power generation, and blocks the intake of water for industries.
91
93
94
95
96
On the other hand, water hyacinth mats can potentially have a positive effect on fish life in that they create a barrier to overfishing and allow for fish growth, there has even been the reappearance of some fish species thought to have been extinct in recent years. The overall effects of the water hyacinth, however, are still unknown.
93
97
Growth of the water hyacinth in Lake Victoria has been tracked since 1993, reaching its maxima biomass in 1997 and then declining again by the end of 2001.
93
Greater growth was observed in the northern part of the lake, in relatively protected areas, which may be linked to current and weather patterns and could also be due to the climate and water conditions, which are more suitable to the plants growth (as there are large urban areas to the north end of the lake, in Uganda).
96
The invasive weed was first attempted to be controlled by hand, removed manually from the lake; however, re-growth occurred quickly. Public awareness exercises were also conducted.
96
More recently, measures have been used such as the introduction of natural insect predators, including two different water hyacinth weevils and large harvesting and chopping boats, which seem to be much more effective in eliminating the water hyacinth.
96
98
99
100
A green power plant that uses harvested water hyacinth (but also can use other degradable waste) was constructed in
Kisumu County
in 2013. In addition to the
biogas
it produces, its by-product can be used as
fertilizer
43
Other factors which may have contributed to the decline of the water hyacinth in Lake Victoria include varying weather patterns, such as El Niño during the last few months of 1997 and first six months of 1998 bringing with it higher levels of water in the lake and thus dislodging the plants. Heavy winds and rains along with their subsequent waves may have also damaged the plants during this same time frame. The plants may not have been destroyed, instead merely moved to another location. Additionally, the water quality, nutrient supply, temperature, and other environmental factors could have played a role. Overall, the timing of the decline could be linked to all of these factors and perhaps together, in combination, they were more effective than any one deterrent would have been by itself.
96
The water hyacinth is in remission and this trend could be permanent if control efforts are continued.
101
Pollution
edit
Population density around Lake Victoria
Pollution of Lake Victoria is mainly due to discharge of
raw sewage
into the lake, dumping of domestic and industrial waste, and fertiliser and chemicals from farms.
The Lake Victoria basin, while generally rural, has many major centres of population. Its shores are dotted with key cities and towns, including
Kisumu
Kisii
, and
Homa Bay
in Kenya;
Kampala
Jinja
and Entebbe in Uganda; and Bukoba,
Mwanza
, and
Musoma
in Tanzania. These cities and towns are also home to many factories that discharge some chemicals directly into the lake or its influent rivers. The set up of small beaches and local authorities around the lake lack proper sewage treatment facilities allowing pollutants to find their way into the water.
102
103
Large parts of these urban areas also discharge untreated (raw) sewage into the river, increasing its
eutrophication
that in turn is helping to increase the invasive water hyacinth.
104
Increased
logging
and act of
deforestation
has led to
environmental degradation
around the region reducing the absorption of polluting chemicals and deteriorating the water quality.
105
Environmental data
edit
As of 2016, an environmental data repository exists for Lake Victoria.
106
The repository contains shoreline, bathymetry, pollution, temperature, wind vector, and other important data for both the lake and the wider Basin.
History and exploration
edit
Bismarck Rock
The first recorded information about Lake Victoria comes from
Arab
traders plying the inland routes in search of
gold
ivory
, other precious commodities, and
slaves
The lake as seen from the shores of the Speke Resort in Kampala, Uganda
Many Africans tribes lived in the catchment area around the lake. It was first sighted by a
European
in 1858 when the
British
explorer
John Hanning Speke
reached its southern shore while on his journey with
Richard Francis Burton
to explore central Africa and locate the Great Lakes. Believing he had found the source of the Nile on seeing this "vast expanse of open water" for the first time, Speke named the lake after Queen Victoria. Burton, who had been recovering from illness at the time and resting further south in Kazeh (near present-day
Tabora
),
107
page needed
was outraged that Speke claimed to have proved his discovery to have been the true source of the Nile River, which Burton regarded as still unsettled. A very public quarrel ensued, which not only sparked a great deal of intense debate within the scientific community of the day, but also much interest by other
explorers
keen to either confirm or refute Speke's discovery.
108
Motorboat on Lake Victoria, near the Ugandan shore
In the late 1860s, the famous Scottish
explorer
and
missionary
David Livingstone
failed in his attempt to verify Speke's discovery, instead pushing too far west and entering the
River Congo
system instead.
109
Ultimately, the British-American explorer
Henry Morton Stanley
, on an expedition funded by the
New York Herald
newspaper, confirmed the truth of Speke's discovery, circumnavigating the lake over 1875-76 and reporting the great outflow at
Ripon Falls
on the lake's northern shore.
Water use
edit
Many towns and cities are reliant on Lake Victoria for their water supplies, for farming and other uses.
110
Lamadi water scheme
edit
The Lamadi water scheme is a water and sanitation project that serves Mwanza and the satellite towns of Lamadi, Misungwi, Magu, Bukoba, and Musoma on the bank of Lake Victoria.  European Investment Bank started the project in 2013 with the aim of protecting the environmental health of the lake, through improved water and sanitation to the towns whose pollution is part of the degradation of the lake. The project aims to provide safe drinking water for an estimated one million people and improved sanitation for 100 000 people. Sediment and suspended solids are filtered out using sand, which acts like a sieve. The water is then ready to be chlorinated or treated in another way. The sand filtration helps reduce water-borne diseases and is based on the use of the local environment.
111
Nalubaale Dam
edit
Main article:
Nalubaale Power Station
The
Nalubaale Hydroelectric Power Station
in
Njeru
, Uganda.
The only outflow for Lake Victoria is at Jinja, Uganda, where it forms the Victoria Nile. The water for at least 12,000 years has drained across a natural rock weir. In 1952, engineers acting for the government of
Colonial Uganda
blasted out the weir and reservoir to replace it with an artificial barrage to control the level of the lake and reduce the gradual erosion of the rock weir. A standard for mimicking the old rate of outflow called the "agreed curve" was established, setting the maximum flow rate at 300 to 1,700
cubic metres per second
(392–2,224
cu yd
/sec) depending on the lake's water level.
In 2002, Uganda completed a second
hydroelectric
complex in the area, the
Kiira Hydroelectric Power Station
, with
World Bank
assistance. By 2006, the water levels in Lake Victoria had reached an 80-year low, and Daniel Kull, an independent hydrologist living in
Nairobi
, Kenya, calculated that Uganda was releasing about twice as much water as is allowed under the agreement,
112
and was primarily responsible for recent drops in the lake's level.
Transport
edit
Ukerewe-Mwanza Ferry.
Main article:
Lake Victoria ferries
Since the 1900s,
Lake Victoria ferries
have been an important means of transport between Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya. The main ports on the lake are Kisumu, Mwanza, Bukoba,
Entebbe
Port Bell
, and Jinja. Until 1963, the fastest and newest ferry,
MV
Victoria
, was designated a
Royal Mail Ship
. In 1966,
train ferry
services between Kenya and Tanzania were established with the introduction of
MV
Uhuru
and
MV
Umoja
. The ferry
MV
Bukoba
sank in the lake on 21 May 1996 with a loss of between 800 and 1,000 lives, making it one of Africa's worst maritime disasters.
113
Another tragedy occurred recently on 20 September 2018 that involved the passagers ferry
MV Nyerere
from
Tanzania
that caused the deaths of over 200 people.
114
On 6 November 2022, Lake Victoria was the site of a commercial passenger aircraft crash.
Precision Air Flight 494
, an
ATR 42–500
carrying 39 passengers and four crew, crashed while approaching
Bukoba Airport
, resulting in 19 fatalities.
115
116
See also
edit
Lakes portal
Africa portal
Geography portal
Kenya portal
Darwin's Nightmare
Kishanda
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A Naturalist on Lake Victoria, with an Account of Sleeping Sickness and the Tse-tse Fly
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