The fisheries and aquaculture specialist has warned the public about water pollution, especially on Lake Victoria, which in most cases has led to the occurrence of abnormal colour due to the rise of algal blooms. This was noted during the Food and Agriculture Organization media dialogue that involved interventions in food, nutrition and income security for sustainable development in Uganda.
Agricultural run-off, sewage, and industrial wastewater have all been linked to the problem, as well as the products of slash-and-burn practices, biomass burning, and industry being sent up into the atmosphere and dumped down into the lake.
According to Jacob Olwo, the Fisheries and Aquaculture Specialist at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO – Uganda), the lake’s abnormal colour is due to the rise of algal blooms, – the result of a process called eutrophication, and this is when a body of water ends up with an excess of nutrients, which triggers a boom in the growth of life like plants and algae.
“The cause of water pollution on Lake Victoria is multi-sectral with issues related to high levels of nutrients arising from different activities including mismanagement of wetlands, agricultural practices in farmland around the water bodies, and direct effluent from towns around the lake, among others,” he said.
Olwo therefore, recommended that this issue should not only be left to the fisheries sector to handle but instead, it needs a multiple approach involving collaboration between Lake Victoria Basin Commission and Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization because there is the need for improved guidelines and infrastructure for agriculture and water treatment, reforestation, and protection of existing land from human activity, as ways to stop excess nutrients from getting into the Lake in the first place.
“Without urgent intervention, the continued influx of pollutants could lead to long-term ecological and economic damage,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, during the same engagement, journalists interacted with the FAO – Uganda Representative Antonio Querido as he concluded his tour in Uganda after 6 years.
In his remarks, Querido highlighted the need for collaboration with the media in the fight against hunger not only in Uganda, or Africa but also worldwide.
“The media is not just a messenger but a key partner in advancing FAO’s mandate. Your work helps translate complex agricultural and food security issues into narratives that inform, educate, and inspire action,” he said.
In the same context, he emphasized timely and balanced reporting, saying, “The media knows the importance of writing and telling a good story. It canhighlight challenges and shape policies that impact the communities. Therefore, your story can inspire, and we strongly believe this partnership is important.”
Querido added that Africa is an endowed continent with natural resources, including water and land. However, it’s not doing well when it comes to food security and therefore encouraged journalists to work together with FAO to promote a world that is free of hunger.
He also pledged to return to the country for private visits, saying, “This is my second home, a beautiful country with hospitable people that are so welcoming, so I hope to come back for my private visits.”
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