Victoria, Lake

Lake victoria (or victoria nyanza) is the largest freshwater lake in Africa, and the second largest [Page 1893]freshwater lake in the world. The lake's total surface area amounts to nearly 27,000 square miles, about the same size as Ireland. Located in Tanzania and Uganda, it feeds the Nile River its greatest supply of water. The lakeshores are highly irregular and numerous reefs and islets are scattered across the surface. More than 200 species of fish are represented in the lake and many have economic value, especially the tilapia. The water surface is almost 4,000 feet above sea level and the lake reaches a depth of nearly 300 feet. The lake was first formed some 400,000 years ago and is vulnerable to rapid climate change. It has dried out more than once, most recently 17,000 years ago.

Large amounts of water, frequently in excess of the existing legal frameworks, are being extracted from the lake, as is also the case for the other great lakes of the continent. The water is used to help in irrigation and in the production of electricity. Birds and fish have been negatively affected by the loss of habitat and this has had an impact on the wider biosphere. It has become more difficult to navigate boats across the lake and this has led to a reduction in the level of trade and commerce. Some parts of the lake's shores are among the most densely settled in all of Africa; many inhabitants have become dependent on the lake for income and food. This process of environmental degradation seems most likely to have begun with the European colonization of the area, which was marked by the large-scale cutting down of trees to create plantations. The lake was named after the British Queen Victoria by the explorer John Hanning Speke, who, like many colleagues, was searching for the source of the Nile.

Degradation has noticeably intensified over the last three decades. The breakdown of previous legislative frameworks with the collapse of the East Africa Community has contributed to the lack of regulations governing fair use of the lake. It is hoped that the creation of the Lake Victoria Fishing Organization, in conjunction with other international agreements, will add a measure of control. The success of many types of fish in the lake, including alien species introduced illegally, has directly led to the extinction or near-extinction of many other species. Remaining species display declining diversity and health and many once-economically important species have disappeared from markets completely.