Learning advantage
Lakes witness a cross-continental collaboration for sustainable development and ecological preservation
China's Jiangxi province, home to Poyang Lake, has strengthened its cooperation with Kenya, Tanzania and other nations bordering Lake Victoria in recent years. By sharing their expertise in lake management, the province and its partners have injected fresh momentum into China-Africa efforts toward eco-friendly modernization.
Initiatives have included training programs to cultivate high-value crops such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers; promoting eco-friendly practices, such as integrating duck farming into rice paddies to control pests and weeds, thereby reducing pesticide use; and demonstrating biogas fermentation and solar power generation to provide clean energy solutions.
In Homa Bay, along Lake Victoria, sustainable agriculture trials are underway. Eric Ochieng, chairman of the KAMSER Shoreline Youth Group, along with over 30 members, is engaged in organic farming of vegetables, sugarcane, and legumes under the guidance of Chinese agricultural specialists.
"By avoiding chemical fertilizers, we reduce nutrient pollution in the lake. Agroforestry practices help prevent soil erosion, and our organic produce commands better prices," Ochieng said. "We are confident in organic farming because these models have been proven effective in Poyang Lake."
Recognizing the need for localized solutions, Chinese experts adjusted their approaches to suit Lake Victoria's context. Initially, they considered comprehensive watershed management plans, but they revised their strategies after discovering limitations in remote sensing data, environmental monitoring equipment, and cross-border coordination.
