Tanzania urges neighbours to act on Lake Tanganyika pollution
Permanent Secretary Dr Richard Muyungi called for concrete action beyond policy to save the lake's biodiversity and 13 million people.
Tanzania has called on neighbouring countries to take concrete action against pollution, illegal fishing, and climate change threatening Lake Tanganyika. Permanent Secretary Dr Richard Muyungi urged Tanzania, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia to strengthen cooperation and improve fisheries management during the 15th Ordinary Meeting of the Lake Tanganyika Authority (LTA) Management Committee in Dar es Salaam.
Dr Muyungi highlighted declining water quality and unsustainable practices as major challenges affecting the lake’s ecosystem and the livelihoods of over 13 million people. He stressed that effective conservation requires practical decisions and alignment with the region’s Strategic Action Programme, also calling for greater private-sector participation to mobilise resources.
The LTA Management Committee meeting aims to assess conservation progress and identify measures to address emerging challenges like unsustainable fishing and habitat degradation. Recommendations from this meeting will inform the Conference of Ministers scheduled for October 29 and 30, seeking to protect the lake's biodiversity and economic potential.
Why it mattersOver 13 million people in Tanzania and neighbouring countries depend on Lake Tanganyika for their livelihoods, which are threatened by pollution and climate change.