Tanzania assumes the LTA chairmanship with pledge to protect lake Tanganyika’s ecosystem

DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA has assumed the chairmanship of the Lake Tanganyika Authority (LTA) Council of Ministers, pledging stronger regional cooperation and joint efforts to protect the lake’s ecosystem and promote sustainable use of its resources.

Minister of State in the Vice-President’s Office (Union and Environment), Hamad Yussuf Masauni, received the chairmanship from Zambia during the 14th LTA Council of Ministers meeting held in Dar es Salaam on October 30, 2026.

Mr Masauni said Tanzania would use its tenure to strengthen coordination among the four countries sharing the lake – Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania and Zambia to address environmental threats and improve the livelihoods of communities depending on its resources.

He described Lake Tanganyika as a shared natural heritage of immense ecological, economic and social importance, providing food, employment and income while supporting biodiversity of international significance.

“Tanzania’s priorities will include strengthening regional cooperation, promoting integrated management of the lake and its basin, and addressing pollution, unsustainable fishing, land degradation and the effects of climate change,”he said.

The minister also highlighted the need for sustainable financing to implement the authority’s programmes and projects, calling on member states to meet their financial obligations and development partners to provide continued financial, technical and technological support.

Additionally Minister Masauni said Tanzania will also support initiatives promoting sustainable fishing, improving sanitation services, preventing water pollution and increasing the participation of women, young people and lakeside communities in development activities.

“Protecting Lake Tanganyika requires collective responsibility, no single country can successfully conserve the shared water body acting alone,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Zambia’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Blue Economy and Environment, Dr Douty Chibamba, said the authority’s success should be measured by tangible results in protecting the lake, improving people’s livelihoods and advancing regional development rather than the number of resolutions adopted.

He emphasised the importance of translating ministerial resolutions into action through clear allocation of responsibilities, adequate resources and effective monitoring and evaluation systems for programmes and projects.

Lake Tanganyika Authority Executive Director Dr Emma Liwenga said environmental conservation should go hand in hand with improving the livelihoods of communities and strengthening the economies of countries surrounding the lake.

She said protecting the lake is not merely an environmental responsibility but also a development priority, regional obligation and critical investment in the livelihoods and future of millions of people depending on its resources.

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