2020 Annual Meeting of the African Great Lakes Stakeholder Network:
Building the Foundation for Long-term Scientific Inquiry and Networks
This meeting is being facilitated by the African Center for Aquatic Research and Education and developed by the partners and experts working on the African Great Lakes
As experts addressing some of the biggest challenges to our multi-jurisdictional freshwater systems, our need to work collaboratively is paramount. To ensure the sustained heath of freshwater resources, we must work across borders so that individual interests do not supersede the needs of larger communities that rely on these resources. We must ensure consistent and long-term scientific inquiry takes place so that we have the ability to make positive decisions based on information that is more complete. When we work together, our collective knowledge, passion, and resources allow us to solve the challenges that threaten these resources.
Following up the 2019 African Great Lakes Stakeholder Network Workshop, held in Entebbe, Uganda, we continue to strengthen the network of experts on the African Great Lakes. During this 2020 Annual Advisory Group Meeting you will be updated on the past year’s progress of the six advisory groups which are made up of experts from the ten riparian countries of the African Great Lakes.
Annual Meeting Agenda & Resources
Updated: January 12, 2021
A Virtual Meeting held on December 10, 2020
Watch the virtual meeting in full
Welcome by ACARE and IISD
- Dr. Ted Lawrence – Executive Director, ACARE (Access Ted’s presentation here and watch it here)
- Dr. Kevin Obiero – Chair of the Board of Directors, ACARE; Sangoro Centre Director, Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (Access Kevin’s presentation here and watch it here)
- Ms. Dimple Roy – Director, Water Management, International Institute for Sustainable Development (Access Dimple’s presentation here and watch it here)
Advisory Group Updates
- Lake Kivu Advisory Group
- Professor Fabrice Muvundja, Dept. of Env. Sciences, Catholic University of Bakavu, D.R. Congo (Access Fabrice’s presentation here and watch it here)
- Lake Lake Malawi/Niassa/Nyasa Basin Fisheries & Aquaculture Network
- Dr. Maxon Ngochera, Fisheries Research Division, Malawi (Access Maxon’s presentation here and watch it here)
- Lake Tanganyika-Science Advisory Group
- Dr. Ismael Kimirei, Director-General, Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute, Tanzania (Access Ismael’s presentation here and watch it here)
- Lake Edward/Albert Advisory Group
- Dr. M. Mbalassa, Head of Biology, Official University of Bakavu, D.R. Congo (Access the presentation here and watch it here)
- Lake Turkana Advisory Group
- Dr. Kevin Obiero, Center Director, Sangoro Research Station, Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Kenya (Access Kevin’s presentation here and watch it here)
- Lake Victoria Advisory Group
- Dr. Anthony Taabu-Munyaho, Deputy Executive Secretary, Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization, Uganda (Access Anthony’s presentation here and watch it here)
What does the future hold on the AGL
- Dr. Colin Apse, Freshwater Conservation Director, Africa Region, The Nature Conservancy (Access Colin’s presentation here and watch it here)
- Dr. Richard Ogutu-Ohwayo, African Lakes Network (AFLANET) (Access Richard’s presentation here and watch it here)
- Dr. Pierre-Denis Plisnier, Researcher: African Great Lakes Monitoring (Access Pierre-Denis’ presentation here and watch it here)
- Ms. Steph Smith, Strategic Advisor, ACARE: African Women in Science Program (Access Steph’s presentation here and watch it here)
Questions & Next Steps: A way forward
–End formal meeting–
Optional Breakout Sessions (45 min): Members of the annual meeting were invited to choose an issue-specific, informal breakout room to engage in discussions, strategy, and ideas on the following:
- Monitoring on the African Great Lakes (Facilitator: Pierre-Denis Plisnier) (Watch the full breakout session here)
- African Women in Science Program (Facilitator: Stephanie Smith) (Watch the full breakout session here)
- Education and Training on the African Great Lakes (Facilitator: Dimple Roy)
- Advisory Groups – questions and discussions (Facilitator: Zeph Migeni)
- Aquaculture – discussion (Facilitator: Ted Lawrence) (Watch the full breakout session here)
Meeting Contact, Questions, and Inquiries
Ted Lawrence: ted@agl-acare.org
ACARE Business Office: info@agl-acare.org
Purpose and Background
During November 5-7, 2019, the African Center for Aquatic Research and Education and its in-country hosts, the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization and the National Fisheries Resources Research Institute held the African Great Lakes Stakeholder Workshop.
Members from all ten African Great Lakes riparian countries (Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia) were in attendance, as were freshwater experts from the Belgium, Canada, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United States. In all, there were 92 participants.
The workshop’s goals were to create lake-specific advisory groups of freshwater experts on each African Great Lake to serve as mechanisms for consistent, regular, and extensive collaboration and communications.
The workshop was a resounding success with six advisory groups being created by members of each lake’s riparian country:
- The Lake Albert/Edward Advisory Group
- The Lake Kivu Advisory Group
- The Lake Malawi/Niassa/Nyasa Basin Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Network
- The Lake Tanganyika – Scientific Advisory Group
- The Lake Turkana Advisory Group
- The Lake Victoria Advisory Group
ACARE and its partners aim to strengthen research and provide the scientific evidence needed to make informed decisions related to sustainable fisheries and aquatic resource management in the African Great Lakes. To do this, ACARE is administering a highly collaborative network of experts with three long-term goals:
(1) strengthen global and regional research partnerships;
(2) strengthen science and scientific inquiry on the African Great Lakes; and
(3) build capacity of freshwater scientists through experiential education and public engagement.
November 7th, 2019. Imperial Golf View Hotel, Entebbe, Uganda.
Pictured are the participants of the African Great Lakes Stakeholder Network Workshop. Freshwater experts from 18 countries were in attendance, including members from each of the 10 riparian African Great Lakes Countries. The workshop resulted in the establishment of six multi-jurisdictional collaborative bodies to help address gaps in knowledge on each of the African Great Lakes.
Photo: ACARE