On 15 September, the joint EAC and GIZ Water Programme, “Lake Victoria Basin Integrated Water Resources Management Programme” (LVBC-IWRM), supported the 12th Mara Day celebration, which was held at Mugumu Town, Serengeti District, Tanzania. The theme of the day was “Hifadhi Mto Mara kwa Ustawi wa Viumbe Hai na Uchumi Endelevu” i.e.  Conservation of Mara River for Biodiversity and Sustainable Economy. The celebrations aimed at acknowledging stakeholder collaboration and engagement in promoting integrated and sustainable conservation of the Mara Ecosystem.
The main objectives for the celebrations were:
Creating awareness among stakeholders on the importance of the Mara River Basin and its resources.
Recognizing the contribution of different actors in the management of the Mara River Basin.
Promoting public-private partnerships to improve the management of Mara’s water resources and biodiversity.
The celebrations featured presentations during a pre-scientific conference, exhibitions, show casing and exchanging of experiences and practices by various stakeholders, tree planting and school children’s competitions.
The event was graced by representatives from key Ministries and agencies in Tanzania and Kenya. From Tanzania, the Ministry of Water, Lake Victoria Basin Water Board, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of East Africa and Foreign affairs, Vice President Office and the Regional Commissioners from the Mara region were in attendance.
From Kenya, the representatives from the Ministry of East African Community and Regional Development, Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Kenya Forestry service (KFS), National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) and County Government of Nakuru, Narok and Bomet participated.
Background
The Lake Victoria Basin Integrated Water Resources Management Program (LVB IWRMP) is a cornerstone of the EAC’s efforts to address the challenges facing the Lake Victoria Basin and its water resources.
The project, steered by the EAC and implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), supports the EAC Secretariat and its specialized organisation, the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC), in promotion of sustainable economic use and environmental protection of the EAC’s water resources, with a focus on the Lake Victoria Basin, based on appropriate regional frameworks and effective Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) institutions.
Watch the Pre-Scientific Conference here.
Find more information on LVBC-IRWM here.