The Preview Edition of the Lake Victoria State of the Basin Report (2025) was officially unveiled during a high level side event at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 30) in Belém, Brazil on 13th November 2025.
The report provides comprehensive insights into the ecological health, socio-economic dynamics, and governance trends of the Lake Victoria Basin ,home to more than 45 million people across five EAC Partner States.
The Lake Victoria State of the Basin Report is a landmark, evidence-based blueprint that bridges local realities with regional policy making, offering a shared platform for both national and cross-border action.
From guiding local investment decisions to informing national strategies on water quality, ecosystems and biodiversity, climate resilience, and infrastructure development, the report integrates environmental, socio-economic, and governance data into one coordinated vision.
It empowers grassroots actors, development partners, and policymakers to collectively respond to climate change, population growth, and environmental pressures, safeguarding the basin’s natural wealth as a foundation for resilience and sustainable development.
The report also highlights the efficiencies achieved through German Technical and Financial Cooperation.
It draws on data from the Water Information System (WIS), financed by BMZ through KfW under the “Lake Victoria Basin Integrated Water Resources Management Program, Phase 1–3,” with a total volume of EUR 60 million.
This system has become a cornerstone in enabling the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) to effectively execute its mandate of coordinating the sustainable development and management of resources in the Lake Victoria Basin.
The ceremony was attended by the EAC Deputy Secretary General for Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Sectors, Hon. Andrea Ariik, and the Principal Secretary for EAC Affairs, Dr. Caroline Karugu.
Also in attendance were Ms. Ingrid-Gabriela Hoven, Managing Director of the Management Board of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH; Ms. Christiane Laibach, Member of the Executive Board of KfW Group and Dr. Callist Tindimugaya, Director of Resources Management at the Ministry of Water and Environment, representing the Permanent Secretary for Water and Environment of the Republic of Uganda Hon. Dr Alfred Okidi.
While making his remarks, the Deputy Secretary General said, “The State of the Basin Report lays out, in no uncertain terms, the interconnected challenges we face such as rapid population growth and changing land use which are placing increasing pressure on every part of the basin’s ecosystem.
The Preview Edition of the report was developed by the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) with support from GIZ.