China is partnering with Tanzania to improve the country’s water conservation and management in its Great Lakes. A two-day training seminar on Eco-environment and Water Security in Lake Basin System has been jointly organized by the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology (NIGLAS), the Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, and the Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI). The seminar has brought together experts from Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, countries that share the Great Lakes of Tanganyika, Victoria, and Nyasa.
Protecting Tanzania’s Great Lakes
The seminar focused on lake environment and ecology, water security and catchment management, and lake fishery and resources management. Tanzania’s Great Lakes of Tanganyika, Victoria, and Nyasa are essential freshwater reservoirs in the world that require collaborative efforts to protect them. The permanent secretary of the Livestock and Fisheries, Riziki Shemdoe, said this while opening the seminar in Dar es Salaam. Shemdoe added that the collaboration between NIGLAS and TAFIRI, which has been in place for the last 15 years, will benefit China and Tanzania and have a significant impact on global lake science. The management of the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries supports this initiative and will accord all necessary help to ensure the collaboration continues.
Stimulating Tanzania’s potential blue economy
Since 2008, China and Tanzania have collaborated on several phases of research projects on water environment monitoring and resource protection in the Great Lakes region of East Africa. Suo Peng, charge d’Affaires and minister counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania, said the outcomes of the research have been recognized by local government and international organizations. Peng believes that the efforts of NIGLAS experts will help Tanzania better protect its unique lake resources and stimulate its potential blue economy.
This partnership is crucial for Tanzania, a country that relies heavily on its water resources for agriculture, fisheries, and tourism. It is also an essential step towards ensuring sustainable use of natural resources and promoting economic growth.
