DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/jsp.2023.15619

An Ecosystem Approach for The Sustainable Use and Management of the Lake Victoria Ecosystem

*Martin Mamboleo orcid  -  Department of Applied Ecology, Institute of Environmental Engineering, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University): 6 Miklukho-Maklaya St, Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation,, Russian Federation
Open Access Copyright 2023 Journal of Sustainability Perspectives
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Citation Format:
Abstract

The key to achieving sustainable development is striking a balance between the exploitation of natural resources for socioeconomic development and the preservation of ecosystem services, which are essential to everyone's well-being and livelihood. This can be achieved by using the ecosystem approach which promotes fair conservation and sustainable use of both land, water and living resources. Over the years, human activities have played an important role in the degradation of natural ecosystems, either due to pollution or unsustainable development. Lake Victoria is the best example of the impact of anthropogenic activity on ecosystems, as it has undergone dramatic biophysical and geochemical changes in a relatively short time. Managing Lake Victoria requires the coordinated efforts of individuals, landowners, research institutions, community groups, and the government. This lake is an important group of natural resources due to its ecosystem services and often unique cultural characteristics hence need for sustainable management. This article focuses on using the ecosystem method to determine optimal management approaches for the Lake Victoria ecosystem's long-term sustainability. The article proposes an integrated stakeholder-based management system and holistic regional development in lake areas that will preserve natural ecosystems without compromising the sustainable use of ecosystem services. As a result, there is a need to remedy the lake ecosystem's degradation in order to retain the shared ecological services that support socioeconomic well-being.

Fulltext View|Download

Article Metrics:

Article Info
Section: Original Articles
Language : EN
Recent articles
Construction and Demolition Waste Management in a Developing Country: A Nigerian Scenario Implementing Circular Economy in Universities. Successful Practices at Politecnico di Torino (Italy) A Sustainable Indoor Air Quality Monitoring Approach through Potable Living Wall for Closed Confined Spaces: A Way Forward to Fight Covid19 More recent articles
  1. W. Leal Filho, E. Manolas and P. Pace, “The future we want: Key issues on sustainable development in higher education after Rio and the UN decade of education for sustainable development.,” International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 112-129, 2015
  2. D. U. Hooper, F. S. Chapin Iii, J. J. Ewel, A. Hector, P. Inchausti, S. Lavorel and D. A. ... & Wardle, “Effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning: a consensus of current knowledge,” Ecological monographs, vol. 75, no. 1, pp. 3-35, 2005
  3. M. Loreau, “Linking biodiversity and ecosystems: towards a unifying ecological theory.,” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, vol. 365, no. 1537, pp. 49-60, 2010
  4. M. Falkenmark, A. Berntell, A. Jägerskog, J. Lundqvist, M. Matz and H. Tropp, On the Verge of a New Water Scarcity: A Call for Good Governance and Hyman Ingenuity (pp. 1-19), Stockholm: Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), 2007
  5. G. A. UN, Sustainable development goals. SDGs Transform Our World, 2030., 2015
  6. T. C. Johnson, K. Kelts and E. Odada, “The holocene history of Lake Victoria,” Ambio, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 2-11, 2000
  7. D. Russi, P. ten Brink, A. Farmer, T. Badura, D. Coates, J. Förster and N. ... & Davidson, The economics of ecosystems and biodiversity (TEEB) for water and wetlands, London, UK: IEEP, 2013
  8. M. e. a. MEA, Ecosystems and human well-being, vol. 5, Washington, DC: Island press, 2005
  9. E. O. Odada, D. O. Olago, K. Kulindwa, M. Ntiba and S. Wandiga, “Mitigation of environmental problems in Lake Victoria, East Africa: causal chain and policy options analyses,” Ambio: A journal of the human environment, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 13-23, 2004
  10. J. B. Zedler and S. Kercher, “Wetland resources: status, trends, ecosystem services, and restorability,” Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour., vol. 30, pp. 39-74, 2005
  11. G. A. Kiker, T. S. Bridges, A. Varghese, T. P. Seager and I. Linkov, “Application of multicriteria decision analysis in environmental decision making,” Integrated environmental assessment and management: An international journal, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 95-108, 2005
  12. J. R. Penn and L. Allen, Rivers of the world: a social, geographical, and environmental sourcebook, ABC-CLIO., 2001
  13. R. C. Crul, Limnology and hydrology of Lake Victoria., 1995
  14. C. Nyamweya, E. Sturludottir, T. Tomasson, E. A. Fulton, A. Taabu-Munyaho, M. Njiru and G. Stefansson, “Exploring Lake Victoria ecosystem functioning using the Atlantis modeling framework.,” Environmental Modelling & Software, vol. 86, pp. 158-167, 2016
  15. R. O. Anyah and F. Semazzi, “Idealized simulation of hydrodynamic characteristics of Lake Victoria that potentially modulate regional climate,” International Journal of Climatology: A Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, vol. 29, no. 7, pp. 971-981., 2009
  16. T. Goldschmidt, F. Witte and J. Wanink, “Cascading effects of the introduced Nile perch on the detritivorous/phytoplanktivorous species in the sublittoral areas of Lake Victoria.,” Conservation biology, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 686-700, 1993
  17. B. E. Marshall, “Guilty as charged: Nile perch was the cause of the haplochromine decline in Lake Victoria,” Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, vol. 75, no. 9, pp. 1542-1559., 2018
  18. C. S. Nyamweya, V. Natugonza, A. Taabu-Munyaho, C. M. Aura, J. M. Njiru, C. Ongore and R. ... & Kayanda, “A century of drastic change: Human-induced changes of Lake Victoria fisheries and ecology.,” Fisheries Research,, Vols. 230, 105564, 2020
  19. L. Sitoki, J. Gichuki, C. Ezekiel, F. Wanda, O. C. Mkumbo and B. E. Marshall, “The environment of Lake Victoria (East Africa): current status and historical changes,” International Review of Hydrobiology, vol. 95, no. 3, pp. 209-223, 2010
  20. J. S. Balirwa, C. A. Chapman, L. J. Chapman, I. G. Cowx, K. Geheb, L. E. S. Kaufman and F. ... & Witte, “Biodiversity and fishery sustainability in the Lake Victoria basin: an unexpected marriage?,” BioScience, vol. 53, no. 8, pp. 703-715, 2003
  21. P. Sukhdev and H. Wittmer, The economics of ecosystems and biodiversity. na., 2008
  22. UNEP, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Ecosystems and Human Well-being, Washington DC: Island Press., 2005
  23. G. C. Daily, “Introduction: what are ecosystem services.,” in Nature’s services: Societal dependence on natural ecosystems, 1997, pp. 1-10
  24. R. S. De Groot, M. A. Wilson and R. M. Boumans, “A typology for the classification, description and valuation of ecosystem functions, goods and services.,” Ecological economics, vol. 41, no. 3, pp. 393-408, 2002
  25. K. J. Wallace, “Classification of ecosystem services: problems and solutions,” Biological conservation, vol. 139, no. 3-4, pp. 235-246, 2007
  26. A. N. Sharpley, S. C. Chapra, R. Wedepohl, J. T. Sims, T. C. Daniel and K. R. Reddy, “Managing agricultural phosphorus for protection of surface waters: Issues and options.,” Journal of environmental quality, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 437-451, 1994
  27. D. B. Baker, “Regional water quality impacts of intensive row-crop agriculture: A Lake Erie Basin case study,” Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 125-132, 1985
  28. A. M. Duda, “Restoring and protecting the African Great Lake Basin ecosystems-lessons from the North American Great Lakes and the GEF.,” in The East African Great Lakes: Limnology, Palaeolimnology and Biodiversity. Advances in Global Change Research, vol. 12, Dordrecht, Springer, 2002, pp. 537-556
  29. G. O. Opande, J. C. Onyango and S. O. Wagai, “Lake Victoria: The water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes [MART.] SOLMS), its socio-economic effects, control measures and resurgence in the Winam gulf.,” Limnologica, vol. 34, no. 1-2, pp. 105-109, 2004
  30. C. B. D. Secretariat, The Ecosystem Approach, CBD Guidelines, Montreal: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, 2004
  31. M. A. R. J. O. Vierros, G. Bianchi and H. R. Skjoldal, “The Ecosystem approach of the convention on biological diversity.,” The Ecosystem approach to fisheries, pp. 39-46, 2008
  32. J. J. Kay, H. A. Regier, M. Boyle and G. Francis, “An ecosystem approach for sustainability: addressing the challenge of complexity.,” Futures, vol. 31, no. 7, pp. 721-742, 1999
  33. S. Katsanevakis, V. Stelzenmüller, A. South, T. K. Sørensen, P. J. Jones, S. Kerr and R. ... & ter Hofstede, “Ecosystem-based marine spatial management: review of concepts, policies, tools, and critical issues,” Ocean & coastal management, vol. 54, no. 11, pp. 807-820., 2011

Last update:

No citation recorded.

Last update:

No citation recorded.