Forschungsbericht - Detailinformation zum Projekt
project title
Songwe River Trans-boundary Catchment Management Project
abstract
Lake Malawi constitutes a unique ecosystem. The lake harbors more freshwater fish species than any other lake in the world and is home to about 15% of the world?s freshwater species.
Six million people from the three riparian states (Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania) rely directly or indirectly on the fisheries sector of the lake for their livelihood. The lake system provides fishery resources, water for domestic use, livestock, agriculture, hydropower generation and opportunities for transport and tourism development. The commercial fisheries from the lake are currently estimated to contribute 1-2% to the GDP of Tanzania and Malawi, and provide employment to about 40,000 people directly, and another 250'000 people in related activities such as fish processing and marketing. The productivity of the fisheries sector in the lake depends critically on the biophysical and biological quality of its contributing river catchments.
The Songwe River catchment is one of the catchments that deposits comparatively large amounts of sediment and pollution into the lake. It is estimated that within the last century, the nutrient and sediment loading into the lake has increased by 50% and the Songwe River has been identified to be one of those accounting for the greatest deposits. A key element in any effort to reduce sedimentation is the sustainable management of priority catchments such as that of the Songwe River.
project team
Udo Höggel (PL)
publication
- The people, the river and the border (2008). Development and Cooperation (D&C). International Journal. No.1. 2008. Vol. 35.
- Negotiating Development: Risks and Interactions in the Trans-boundary river Basin Context of the Songwe Basin in Tanzania and Malawi. Conference presentation. 2006. 3. International Symposium on Integrated Water Resources Management. Sept. 2006 Ruhr-University, Bochum.
project duration
11.2005 - 12.2010
state:ongoing
university unit
Geographisches Institut
research area
Natural Sciences, Geography
index terms
Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania
last update: 01.06.2010