Regional approaches to ecosystem services in the Great Lakes of Africa(in review)

Abstract

The African Great Lakes are among the world's most important aquatic ecosystems from the point of view of freshwater resources, biodiversity and carbon cycling. They are heavily utilised by the regional population for transportation, water supply, fisheries, waste disposal, recreation and tourism. However, evidence shows that environmental drivers are compromising ecosystem functioning and jeopardising the fundamental ser- Vices that largely determine people's livelihoods in Burundi, Congo, Ethiopia Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. In the ESPA funded EAGLO project, researchers are working with policy makers and experts from the lake countries on a systematic inter-basin comparison to identify environmental limits and medium scale trends in lake ecosystem functioning and ecosystem services, key socioeconomic drivers and impacts. A series of workshops with policy makers and stakeholders from throughout East Africa, using a participatory scenario development methodology, provided information on trends in demography, climate, governance, and common ecosystem services. The analytical framework allowed for the exploration of the drivers, assumptions and major socio-economic, science, governance, ecosystems and cultural changes anticipated in three different worlds in 2030(current trends, best case and worst case scenarios). To reach a common best-case scenario, the participants identified the need for a regional approach that supports policy making and resource management, based on knowledge exchange between stakeholders. Following the first workshop, and leading up to the second, the ESPA EAGLO research team is integrating important research on individual lakes into the context of regional trends in climate, ES and socio-economic conditions. The development of a common approach and a shared vision, together with the support of regional policy makers will assist the East Great lakes region in moving towards a more sustainable and prosperous future.