Lake Victoria is the second largest lake in the world. During the last decades it has been faced with a number of environmental problems such as pollution, the loss of its biodiversity, soil erosion and habitat destruction. The fish species of the lake have been reduced considerably in number, and their ecological diversity threatened. In addition to this, despite the abundance of natural resources in the area, sixty percent of the population lives in poverty.
The Lake Victoria Catchment Area Environmental Education Programme aims to encourage participation in the management of the environment and the conservation of the lake and its surrounds through environmental education programmes.
This program, led by the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) aims to help communities in the catchment area to become autonomous in sustainable management of their natural resources, through the training of teachers and the mobilization of local schoolchildren. The programme aims to encourage teachers to include environmental education as part of their teaching activities, by raising awareness, creating partnerships and formulating environmental education teaching materials about the protection of freshwater ecosystems and protection for waterside communities.
Main educational actions :
- Raising awareness among children about the necessity of saving the ecological diversity of the Lake Victoria catchment area.
- Improving the socio-economic well-being of local inhabitants through the teaching of natural resource management.
- Helping communities become autonomous in the sustainable use and management of natural resources.
More information :
WWF Regional Office for Africa
5th Floor of ACS Plaza Lenana Road
P.O. Box 62440
00200 Nairobi, Kenya