‘The Lake Is Our Life’: Ugandans seek to protect a shared lifeline

Before sunrise on the shores of Lake Albert, fishers in Nkondo, Uganda, head onto the water. Families across Kikuube district depend on the lake for food, income and daily survival, but plastic waste and other debris are becoming an increasingly visible threat.

Solomon Wamara, chairperson of the Lake Albert fishers, says the community cannot treat the lake as a livelihood while allowing it to fill with waste. Plastic bags and other rubbish can reach fish breeding and growing areas, threatening the future of fishing and food security.

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It is a good time to highlight the threats facing this lake that is our lifeline.

The pollution also travels through the Wambaya, Waki and Nguse rivers, which carry waste from agricultural activity and disposal sites into Lake Albert. “River pollution affects fish breeding grounds and also food security. These rivers are essential for the survival of fish and communities that depend on the lake,” Wamara said. “The lake is our life.”

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River pollution affects fish breeding grounds and also food security. These rivers are essential for the survival of fish and communities that depend on the lake.

Wamara urged communities around the lake to stop dumping waste, particularly plastic, and to join environmental sanitation campaigns. He supports monthly clean-up efforts and says they should expand to more communities.

He also said conservation measures must reflect the financial circumstances of people whose livelihoods depend on the lake. Instead of excessively taxing traditional fishers, authorities should help them continue fishing sustainably and within the law. Kikuube district commissioner Godwin Angalia, who once worked as a fisher, said the government views lakes as an important pillar of local economies and people's lives.

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The lake is our life.