Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Lake Victoria has one of the highest endemic fish species-area-relationships of any freshwater bodies in the world. More than 90% of this diversity is composed of haplochromine cichlids that have undergone an evolutionary radiation in the region into more than 700 endemic species in the past 100,000 years. These species belong to more than 20 different major ecological guilds from large benthic and small pelagic herbivores at one end of the consumer food web to inshore and pelagic fish predators at the other end.

The price of land on the global market is often far below its real value to society. Thsi means that too much has been and is being extracted from the land, degrading it to a dangerous extent. Worldwide, 52 percent of land used for agriculture is moderately or severely affected by land and soil degradation, a widespread phenomenon occurring globally. Recent estimates show that ecosystem service losses from land degradation cost $6.3 to 10.6 trillion annually. Everyone on earth suffers indirectly, and for the 1.4 billion rural poor land degradation has a direct impact on livelihoods.

There has been a considerable increase in the pace at which hydrocarbon reserves are being targeted in some of the most remote and pristine areas on our planet, often involving the use of controversial technologies such as hydraulic fracturing or deepwater drilling. Unnoticed by the public, initiatives for oil exploration are advanced in Africas largest freshwater reservoirs, including Lakes Tanganyika, Malawi and lately Albert, threatening their ecosystems and biota.

The TerrAfrica Partnership leverages funds to scale up sustainable land management in sub-Saharan Africa. It is a regional initiative to help African countries develop harmonised and programme-based initiatives in sustainable land and water management (SLWM). TerrAfrica also works to improve coordination between African governments, the international development community and other global and regional stakeholders. The programme contributes to realising the objectives of CAADP and the Action Plan of the NEPAD Environment Initiative.

This document outlines recommendations for financing integrated water resource management (IWRM) in the African Great Lakes.

The Lake Tanganyika basin is recognised globally for its unique richness of aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity, exceptional scenic beauty and high overall ecological and socio-economic value. The lake harbours over 1,500 species, out of which approximately 600 occur nowhere else in the world. Furthermore, the lake contains almost 17% of the world 's available surface freshwater, providing a permanent source of drinking water, as well as water for domestic use, industrial and agricultural development.

Lake Victoria and its basin are comprised of enormous areas of permanent and seasonal small water bodies that have been singled out as important faunal reservoirs for the endangered and threatened native species of Lake Victoria. Two tilapiine fish Oreochromis esculentus and O. variabilis are endemic and were the most commercial species in the lake fishery in early 1900s. Pressure on the fisheries and introduction of new fish species caused a severe decline of these species from the lake.

SmartFish is one of the largest regional programmes for fisheries in Africa. It is financed by the European Union, and implemented by the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) in collaboration with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). There are twenty beneficiary countries under the programme.

The SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund was established in 2003 to raise support for grassroots conservation projects that are truly making a difference. Since its creation, the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund has awarded over $11 million in conservation grants to over 800 organizations. Currently, the Fund provides over $1 million each year to conservation programs, and thanks to SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment's administrative support, 100% of the funding raised goes toward these conservation projects.

The Rufford Small Grant offers grants to individuals or small groups for nature conservation projects in non-first world countries that focus on nature/biodiversity issues in non-first world countries, create pragmatic, measurable and long-lasting impact and are a minimum of 12 months duration. The grant must make up a significant part of the total budget and funds must be used predominantly for field-based activities. Applications can be made at any time of the year and these are reviewed once all references have been received.

The Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM), produced by IUCN and the World Resources Institute, provides a flexible and affordable framework approach for countries to rapidly identify and analyse forest landscape restoration (FLR) potential and locate specific areas of opportunity at a national or sub-national level. ROAM can provide vital support to countries seeking to move forward with developing restoration programmes and landscape-level strategies.

In May 2017, the African Great Lakes Conference: Conservation and Development in a Changing Climate was held in Entebbe, Uganda. This conference sought to increase coordination, strengthen capacity, inform policy with science, and promote basin-scale ecosystem management in the region. Because all of the African Great Lakes cross borders, the benefits they offer and the challenges they face are best managed at a basin-wide level.

Africa's continental fisheries and development strategy, The Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa (PFRS), advocates for the sustainable management of aquatic resources for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture development. The ecosystem approach to aquaculture (EAA) is a strategy for the integration of aquaculture within the wider ecosystem to ensure sustainable development, equity and resilience of interlinked social-ecological systems.

The three largest lakes of the African Great Lakes system, Victoria, Tanganyika and Malawi, have distinctive fisheries and histories of fisheries management. All three provide essential and high quality food to their riparian populations and a range of other ecosystem services. Lakes Victoria and Tanganyika have highly commercialised and lake-wide, open-water fisheries. In Lake Malawi the commercial fishery is largely confined to the southern end of the lake, mainly exploiting demersal fish. Artisanal and low-level subsistence fisheries occur throughout all three lakes.

The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) is a partnership of the riparian states that has been active since 1999. It seeks to develop the river in a cooperative manner, share substantial socioeconomic benefits, and promote regional peace and security through its shared vision of sustainable socioeconomic development through the equitable utilization of, and benefit from, the common Nile Basin water resources. The NBI is based in Entebbe, Uganda and includes Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

Creating welfare and jobs in rural areas is a development policy priority for Africa. Seventy percent of Africa 's rural populations derive their livelihoods from agriculture, and the number of young people living in rural areas is continuously growing and will continue to do so over the next decades.

NEPAD's Food and Nutrition Security Programme strives to reduce hunger and malnutrition of the vulnerable populations using evidence-based policies and programmes. The programme undertakes research, builds capacity for policy makers and programme experts across sectors and supports implementation. This programmes exists within NEPAD's Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), which is concerned with reducing poverty and hunger through agriculture-led growth.

Fish is one of the leading export commodities for Africa, with an annual export value of 14 billion USD. However, many African nations lack the capacity to utilize their aquatic assets while simultaneously protecting them from degradation and overuse. The full economic and social benefits of the fish trade have yet to reach its full potential. Without an adequate governance structure, fisheries and the fish trade will not be adequately safeguarded for the benefit of future generations.

The NEPAD Climate Change Fund aims to strengthen the resilience of African countries to climate change by building national, sub-regional and continental capacity. Established in 2014 by the NEPAD Agency with support from the Government of Germany, the Fund offers technical and financial assistance to AU Member States, Regional Economic Communities and institutions that meet the eligibility criteria and clearly defined targeted areas of support of the fund. 

The National Geographic Society awards grants for research, conservation, education, and storytelling through its Committee for Research and Exploration. All proposed projects must be novel and exploratory and be of broad interest.