Kisumu: The Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) has initiated a two-day regional technical workshop in Kisumu, aiming to install and operationalize an advanced Water Information System. This system is designed to revolutionize the management of shared water resources across the East African Community (EAC) Partner States.
According to Kenya News Agency, the Lake Victoria Basin Water Information System (LVB WIS) serves as a decision-support platform that amalgamates multi-sectoral data into a single client-server system hosted at the LVBC headquarters in Kisumu. Developed in collaboration by experts from EAC Partner States and the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), the system integrates hydrological, meteorological, environmental, and socio-economic data under a shared digital framework.
Once the LVB WIS becomes operational, it will facilitate real-time modeling, forecasting, and advanced analytics. This will enhance flood preparedness, water allocation, climate forecasting, environmental protection, and long-term investment planning throughout the Lake Victoria Basin. By merging critical datasets into a unified platform, the system is expected to boost evidence-based decision-making and promote coordinated regional actions to manage water, environmental, and climate-related risks in the vital transboundary basin.
During the workshop in Kisumu, national and regional experts are set to install and test the complete client-server system, integrate essential modeling tools, and configure both national and regional use cases. These include flood risk management applications in Kenya and Rwanda, alongside basin-wide water quality monitoring and hydrological forecasting across the Lake Victoria Basin. Participants will also undergo hands-on technical training to ensure effective operation, maintenance, and application of the system according to national priorities while reinforcing regional cooperation.
The LVB WIS marks a significant milestone for the region as the first shared digital platform specifically designed to support joint decision-making across the Lake Victoria Basin. It is a component of the Lake Victoria Basin Integrated Water Resources Management Programme, funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union (EU) through KfW Development Bank, in collaboration with the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ).
LVBC Executive Secretary Dr Masinde Bwire highlighted that the platform signifies a major advancement in sustainable transboundary water management by enhancing data coordination and bolstering resilience to water, environment, and climate-related risks across the basin.
