Lake Tanganyika in Danger

Yesterday, we could welcome Radio Bonesha FM from Burundi in our network. Today, Radio Bonesha FM journalist Willy Kwizera sends us this article:

Burundi: Lake Tanganyika in Danger from Non-Biodegradable Waste

Residents along the shores of Lake Tanganyika are concerned about the proliferation of non-biodegradable plastic bottles that threaten the lake. They say this waste is gradually destroying aquatic biodiversity and affecting the quality of the water used daily by a large part of the population of the economic capital, Bujumbura. According to these residents, plastic pollution now constitutes a major danger to the environment and to the inhabitants who depend on the lake’s waters for their daily activities. Jonas Niyukuri, a researcher at the University of Burundi, asserts that plastic bottles are causing enormous damage to Lake Tanganyika, particularly to aquatic species and the lake’s ecosystem.

These residents deplore the behavior of some Bujumbura residents and passersby who discard plastic bottles in nature after use. They say this waste is carried by runoff through the gutters of various neighborhoods to the rivers that flow into Lake Tanganyika. They emphasize that this pollution poses a serious threat to aquatic biodiversity and the water quality of the lake.

They specify that diseases such as cancer and other illnesses could threaten the population due to the pollution of Lake Tanganyika. According to them, some plastic bottles contain dangerous chemicals that can have harmful effects on human health when they pollute the lake’s waters.

The Together for the Protection of the Environment Association is raising the alarm about the consequences of plastic pollution on the lake’s biodiversity and the health of the local population.

The Together for the Protection of the Environment Association asserts that plastic bottles have a considerable impact on the environment, particularly on the living organisms of Lake Tanganyika, as well as on human health.

Its president, Innocent Banirwaninzigo, indicates that the “zero waste” policy launched by the Burundian authorities remains difficult to implement as long as waste, including plastic bottles, continues to be discarded in nature throughout the economic capital, Bujumbura.

He also believes that mineral water companies should require consumers to return used bottles, as is done in some countries, to reduce the environmental impact of this plastic waste.

This environmentalist indicates that only a small proportion of plastic waste, estimated at less than 10%, is currently recycled. The rest is often burned in the open air or dumped in nature, thus exacerbating the pollution of Lake Tanganyika.

Innocent Banirwaninzigo calls on the relevant authorities to take appropriate measures to find a sustainable solution to this environmental problem. According to him, this fight is essential to support Burundi’s vision of becoming an emerging country by 2040 and a developed country by 2060.

Plastic waste poses a serious threat to Lake Tanganyika.

Jonas Niyukuri, a professor at the University of Burundi and a researcher specializing in plastic waste recycling, asserts that plastic waste threatens Lake Tanganyika and destroys the environment. According to him, this waste takes many years to decompose in nature.

This researcher specifies that once dumped into Lake Tanganyika, this waste causes the death of certain species of fish and other aquatic organisms. He also emphasizes that this pollution affects the quality of the lake’s water, a situation that could have serious consequences for human health.

He recommends that the government enforce the environmental code and penalize anyone who dumps waste in nature or in inappropriate locations, in order to protect this national and international treasure that is Lake Tanganyika.

It should be noted that the economic capital, Bujumbura, produces approximately 630 tons of waste per day, including nearly 51 tons of plastic waste. Each inhabitant generates an average of 217 kilograms of waste per year, or about 0.6 kilograms per day. Managing this waste remains a major challenge, particularly with regard to food packaging and other plastic products.

Willy Kwizera, Radio Bonesha from Bujumbura