The Effect of Water Hyacinth Proliferation on the Riparian Communities: Winam Gulf
THE EFFECT OF WATER HYACINTH PROLIFERATION ON THE RIPARIAN COMMUNITIES: WINAM GULF Student number: 36586
Delft, Netherlands
THE EFFECT OF WATER HYACINTH PROLIFERATION ON THE RIPARIAN COMMUNITIES: WINAM GULF
Assignment: Environmental System Analysis
Submitted by:
Fitsum Elias Kifeleyesus, Student Number:
March, 2013
THE EFFECTS OF WATER HYACINTH PROLIFERATION ON THE RIPARIAN COMMUNITY IN WINAM GULF
1. Introduction
Page 1
THE EFFECT OF WATER HYACINTH PROLIFERATION ON THE RIPARIAN COMMUNITIES: WINAM GULF Student number: 36586 Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is a floating neo-tropical Pontederiacea, which, over the past century, has been spread around the world by humans (Gopal, 1987). This aquatic plant has unique life cycle and survival strategies that have given it competitive edge over other species. Hence, it has extremely high growth habit and high productivity. Once it is introduced and colonizes an ecosystem, it causes a disruption in the environmental, social aspect as well as economic aspects of the riparian society. The plant is originated from the northern tropics of southern America and has disseminated very quickly in various tropical and sub-tropical countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The presence of this plant in Lake Victoria reported for the first time in 1989 (Moorhouse et al. 2001). It was brought to the lake from Rwanda through the Kagara River.
Figure 1 Map of location of Winam Gulf Winam gulf, which is located in the Kenyan part of Lake Victoria East Africa, is known as the "lake within the lake". It is a kind of an inlet lake which is connected to the big Lake Victoria with a narrow canal which is known as Rusinga channel. This gulf has 550 km shorelines and stretches about 100 km east to west and 50 km north-south with a total surface area of 1400 Km2. The Gulf is comparatively shallow, having a recorded maximum and average depth of 68 m and 6 m. (Hughes and
Delft, Netherlands
THE EFFECT OF WATER HYACINTH PROLIFERATION ON THE RIPARIAN COMMUNITIES: WINAM GULF
Assignment: Environmental System Analysis
Submitted by:
Fitsum Elias Kifeleyesus, Student Number:
March, 2013
THE EFFECTS OF WATER HYACINTH PROLIFERATION ON THE RIPARIAN COMMUNITY IN WINAM GULF
1. Introduction
Page 1
THE EFFECT OF WATER HYACINTH PROLIFERATION ON THE RIPARIAN COMMUNITIES: WINAM GULF Student number: 36586 Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is a floating neo-tropical Pontederiacea, which, over the past century, has been spread around the world by humans (Gopal, 1987). This aquatic plant has unique life cycle and survival strategies that have given it competitive edge over other species. Hence, it has extremely high growth habit and high productivity. Once it is introduced and colonizes an ecosystem, it causes a disruption in the environmental, social aspect as well as economic aspects of the riparian society. The plant is originated from the northern tropics of southern America and has disseminated very quickly in various tropical and sub-tropical countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The presence of this plant in Lake Victoria reported for the first time in 1989 (Moorhouse et al. 2001). It was brought to the lake from Rwanda through the Kagara River.
Figure 1 Map of location of Winam Gulf Winam gulf, which is located in the Kenyan part of Lake Victoria East Africa, is known as the "lake within the lake". It is a kind of an inlet lake which is connected to the big Lake Victoria with a narrow canal which is known as Rusinga channel. This gulf has 550 km shorelines and stretches about 100 km east to west and 50 km north-south with a total surface area of 1400 Km2. The Gulf is comparatively shallow, having a recorded maximum and average depth of 68 m and 6 m. (Hughes and
References: ATONGA, A.A. (2001): Overview of fisheries resources and potential within the Lake Victoria Basin: Anecdote for poverty alleviation and conservation. In: Proceedings of the first national scientific conference. 15th-19 th October 2001. Kisumu, Kenya. Gopal, B. 1987. Water hyacinth. Aquatic Plant, Studies 1. Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Elsevier Science. Hughes R.H and J.R. Hughes 1992. Lake Victoria: Lake Description. Directory of African Wildlife [18/12/2001] http://www.wcmc.org.uk/dynamic/lcdb/lakesheets/victoria.desc.html Mailu, A. M. 2001. “Preliminary Assessment of the Social, Economic, and Environmental Impacts of Water Hyacinth in the Lake Victoria Basin and the Status of Control.” Kenya Agricultural Research Institute. Kenya, Nairobi MANYALA, J.O., BOLO, J. & ONYANGO, S. (2001): Indigenous knowledge on breeding grounds and closed season in Lake Victoria (Kenya). In: Proceedings of the first national scientific conference 15 ~ - 19 th October 2001. Kisumu, Kenya. Moorhouse, J.M., P. Agaba, and T.J. McNabb. 2001. “Recent Efforts in Biological Control of Water Hyacinth in the Kagera River Head Waters of Rwanda.” In Biological and Integrated Control of Water Hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes, proceedings of the second meeting of the Global Working Group for the Biological and Integrated Control of Water Hyacinth, Beijing, China, 9–12 October 2000. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) Proceedings No.102: 39–42. OCHEL, G.S. & NJOKA, S. (2001): Biological control and monitoring of water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes, MART. SOLMS-LAUBACH (Liliales: Pontederiaceae) during post resurgence period in the Lake Victoria basin, Kenya. In: Proceedings of the first national scientific conference 15 tu- 19 th October 2001. Kisumu, Kenya Ochiel, G.S., Njoka, S.W., Mailu, A.M.,Gitonga,W.(2001) Establishment, Spread and Impact of Neochetina spp. On Water Hyacinth in Lake Victoria, Kenya. ACIAR Proceedings 102. Opande, G.O., Onyango, J.C., Wagai, S.O., 2004. Lake Victoria: The waterhyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes [Mart.] Solms), its socio-economic effects, control measures and resurgence in the Winam gulf. Limnologica 34, 105–109. Osumo W. M. 2001 effects of water hyacinth on water quality of Winam gulf, lake Victoria.Kenya Marine fisheries research Institute. P.O. Box 1881, Kisumu, kenya. Wilson, JR; Holst, N; Rees, M (2005). Determinants and patterns of population growth in water hyacinth. Aquatic Botany 81: 51-67. Williams A.E. & Hecky R.E. (2005) Invasive aquatic weeds and eutrophication: the case of water hyacinth in Lake Victoria. In: Restoration and Management of Tropical Eutrophic Lakes (Ed. M.Vikram Reddy), pp. 187–225. Science Publishers, Enfield, NH, USA. Page 14