The Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) has convened a two-day regional technical workshop in Kisumu to install and operationalise a cutting-edge Water Information System designed to transform the management of shared water resources across the East African Community (EAC) Partner States.
The Lake Victoria Basin Water Information System (LVB WIS) is a decision-support platform that integrates multi-sectoral data into a single client-server system hosted at the LVBC headquarters in Kisumu.
Developed collaboratively by experts from EAC Partner States together with the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), the system brings together hydrological, meteorological, environmental and socio-economic data under one shared digital framework.
Once operational, the LVB WIS will enable real-time modelling, forecasting and advanced analytics to strengthen flood preparedness, water allocation, climate forecasting, environmental protection and long-term investment planning across the Lake Victoria Basin.
By consolidating critical datasets into a unified platform, the system is expected to enhance evidence-based decision-making and promote coordinated regional action in managing water, environmental and climate-related risks in one of Africa’s most important transboundary basins.
During the Kisumu workshop, national and regional experts will install and test the full client-server system, integrate key modelling tools and configure both national and regional use cases.
These include flood risk management applications in Kenya and Rwanda, as well as basin-wide water quality monitoring and hydrological forecasting across the Lake Victoria Basin.
Participants will also receive hands-on technical training to ensure that each Partner State can effectively operate, maintain and apply the system in line with national priorities while strengthening regional cooperation.
The LVB WIS represents a major milestone for the region as the first shared digital platform specifically designed to support joint decision-making across the Lake Victoria Basin.
The system is a component of the Lake Victoria Basin Integrated Water Resources Management Programme and is financed by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union (EU) through KfW Development Bank, in close collaboration with German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ).
LVBC Executive Secretary Dr Masinde Bwire said the platform marks a significant step forward in sustainable transboundary water management by improving data coordination and strengthening resilience to water, environment and climate-related risks across the basin.
By Chris Mahandara
