ZAMBIA’S Minister of Green Economy and Environment Mike Mposha has called on Cooperating Partners to mobilise resources to support conservation of Lake Tanganyika which is shared among Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi and Zambia.
He has urged the cooperating partners to continue supporting Zambia, Burundi, Tanzania and the DRC) through mobilisation of resources to protect and conserve Lake Tanganyika which has recorded rising water levels resulting in flooding affecting some livelihood and infrastructure.
Mr Mposha who is Chairperson of the Lake Tanganyika Authority Conference of Ministers made the appeal on Thursday in Kinshasa, DRC.
He said the degradation and fragmentation of ecosystems and habitats for biodiversity in the four riparian countries has continued at alarming rates.
Mr Mposha said this during the official opening of the 12 th Ordinary Meeting of the Lake Tanganyika Conference of Ministers held at Rotana Hotel in Kinshasa,
He observed that the four countries were confronted by enormous challenges such as the devastating impacts of the flooding occasioned due to rising water levels in the Lake Tanganyika.
“The dramatic rise in the water levels of Lake Tanganyika has caused extensive damage to infrastructure as well as disruption of livelihoods and loss of life of the riparian communities and the biodiversity of the lake basin,” Mr Mposha said.
The Minister expressed concern that the loss, degradation and fragmentation of ecosystems and habitats for biodiversity in the four riparian countries has continued at alarming rates.
“The people living in communities around Lake Tanganyika were eagerly looking forward to a favourable conference outcome that would help them to safeguard their livelihoods, prevent loss
of life and further environmental degradation and positively contribute to poverty reduction and socio-economic development in our respective countries,” Mr Mposha said.
He added: “My plea to all member states is that Lake Tanganyika, which holds almost a sixth of the world’s available fresh water and is home to more than 2,000 species of plants and animals, must be safeguarded at all cost. This is crucial for both the present and future generations, as the lake also has over 500 endemic species vital to its ecosystem.”
At the same occasion, DRC Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka reassured the Member States of her country’s commitment to the preservation of Lake Tanganyika.
