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Today an explosive proliferation of the water hyacinth in Kisumu, Kendu and Homa bay in Kenya is placing a heavy toll on water access for communities due its presence as a hindrance, blockage of beaches leading a drop in fishing activities and related enterprises, and reportedly encourage snake attacks.
Classified as one of the worst aquatic weeds in the world, the water hyacinth can be spread through among others, contaminated boating, ballast water, and waterway equipment. Seeds can be carried in water flow, water currents and mud by birds (LVBC, 2011). In addition to other environmental challenges, the reappearance of the water hyacinth continues to have adverse impact on the already strained Lake Victoria and dependent communities, as EA SusWatch Network explores in the pictorial below:
Weed infestation at Port Bell – Luzira in Uganda.
(Photo: Emily Arayo)
(Photo: Emily Arayo)
Manual water weed removal by Agula group – Kisumu. (Photo: Dickson Odhiambo)
Scavenging birds next to the water hyacinth in Mwanza (Photo: Emily Arayo)
Abandoned fishing boats at Port bell – Luzira in Uganda (Photo: Emily Arayo)
- Weed ‘mat’ in Kisumu (photo: Ken Oluoch)
Defunct weed remover at Kasensero (Rakai district in Uganda (Photo: Emily Arayo)
Regional Coordinator
LVEMP II Civil Society Watch Project
C/o Uganda Coalition for Sustainable Development – Rio and Beyond
P.o.Box 27551 Kampala (Uganda)
Tel:+256 414 269461
Email: ugandacoalition@infocom.co.ug
rkimbowa@ugandacoalition.or.ug
Website: www.easuswatch.org
