Mposha Urges DRC, Tanzania, Burundi, and Zambia to Tackle Rising Lake Tanganyika Water Levels
The Chairperson of the Lake Tanganyika Authority (LTA) Conference of Ministers and Zambia’s Minister of Green Economy and Environment, Mike Elton Mposha, has called on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania, Burundi, and Zambia to urgently address the rising water levels in Lake Tanganyika, which have caused significant socio-economic challenges in the region.
Speaking at the Third Extra-ordinary Meeting of the LTA Conference of Ministers held yesterday at Johari Rotana Hotel in Dar es Salaam, Minister Mposha stressed that the flooding due to rising water levels was impacting all four countries that share Lake Tanganyika.
He noted that the rise in water levels this year was the highest recorded in 60 years, with records dating back to 1964. The increase has been attributed to climate change and unsustainable human activities around the lake basin.
“The floods have affected human lives, health, and economies, particularly in Zambia where infrastructure such as schools, health posts, roads, and homes have been submerged,” Minister Mposha said. Notable affected sites in Zambia include Nsumbu Fish Market, Chibanga School and Health Post, and several water supply intakes.
Minister Mposha emphasized the urgency of finding long-term solutions, calling on the four riparian states to cooperate in implementing regional and national programs that can avert further damage and prevent loss of life.
He noted that these floods threaten the countries’ progress toward their national development plans, the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and the objectives of the Lake Tanganyika Convention.
The Minister also briefed LTA members on the devastating drought affecting Zambia, where over six million people across 84 districts are struggling due to extreme weather conditions. He expressed Zambia’s gratitude to Burundi for its humanitarian assistance and Tanzania for facilitating maize imports to aid those affected by the drought.
Representatives from Tanzania, DRC, and Burundi supported the call for collaboration, with Tanzania’s Deputy Minister of State, Khamis Hamza Khamis, DRC’s Fisheries Minister Jean Pierre Tshimanga, and Burundi’s Permanent Secretary for Environment, Emmanuel Ndorimana, committing to finding sustainable solutions to the rising water crisis.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment to regional cooperation in addressing both the flooding and broader climate challenges impacting the Lake Tanganyika basin.
