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At almost 70,000 square metres, Lake Victoria is the third largest lake in the world.Over 200,000 fishers work its waters directly, sustaining a fishing economy worth over $1 billion and feedingin excess of42 million people across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.����

51���� are part of anewproject,,whichwilldeploy three research vessels simultaneously across Kenyan,Ugandanand Tanzanian waters, in a twelve-month lake-wide campaign beginning in mid-2027.

Led by the Lake Victoria Fisheries Association,the project aims to survey Lake Victoria toassess fish stocks, water quality, climate,land-useimpactsand community livelihoods, providing concrete evidence for policy makers,businessand communities to make better lakeand landmanagement decisions.

The plannedLV100surveywillreplicate the first ever surveyof the lake,carried out in 1927 by naturalist Michael Graham on behalf of the thenBritish colonial administration.The original fish and data samples taken from the lakearepreserved at the Natural History Museum in London and at the offices ofthe Centre for Environment, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science(Cefas).Comparing thesehistoricspecimensto those to be collected in 2027 will tell the story of 100 years of change.����

Since the 1927 survey, environmental stressors including the introduction of Nile perch, invasive plants and increasing pollution have affected the waters of Lake Victoria, and researchers aim to glean insights that will help them protect the lakefrom future impacts such as climate change.����

51���� will examine how land-to-lake processes in the region have evolved over time. Scientists will assess how poor land management and vegetation loss contribute to increased material entering the lake, affecting fisheries through sediment build-up and nutrient pollution that promotes invasive plant growth, limiting access for small boatsand potentially limiting the rapid growth of aquaculture as an essential industry to support economic and food security in the region.

I am delighted to be part of the Lake Victoria LV100 centenary survey.Ita welcome decision to incorporate and consider the influence of land use and its management on the future health of Lake Victoria to sustain food and economic security for the region. The project will combine more than 50 partners across the region and internationally to undertake a multidisciplinary study to define the impacts on the Lake and use novel means to encourage decision makers to act in the best interests of the lake and those whobenefitfrom it.

Michael Watts, Head of BGS Inorganic Geochemistry

Lake Victoria represents one of the most incredible sources of life, health and wellbeing for the people of East Africa, and I’m delighted to support this locally led initiative to ensure we understand our impacts upon it and so ensure it provides for generations to come.

Mark Haviland, Co-Director of Lake Victoria 100

The projectaligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals — inparticularSDG 14 (Life Below Water),SDG 15 (Life on land),SDG 2 (Zero Hunger),SDG 13 (Climate Action)and strengthens partnerships for the SDG goals through SDG 17 –as well as the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Global Biodiversity Framework and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Total investment in the expedition is expected to be close to USD7m.

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