East African Great Lake Observatory

The East African Great Lake Observatory (EAGLO) project brought together leading scientists in focused research activities and scientific exchange for a two year period. In addition to the PI and Co-I, the research was supported by partners from leading institutions with experience in climate, limnology, economics and decision support in the African Lakes region.

The project strongly benefited from the past and present participation of project researchers nationally and internationally sponsored research in the region. Project scientists made new developments in monitoring (in-situ and earth observation), modelling (socio-economic, biogeochemical, hydrological) and management technologies, focusing on regional trends in lake ecosystem dynamics. These tools enabled the simulation of the mutual feedbacks between socio-economic drivers, climate and regional environmental change (eg. trends in watershed and airshed conditions) and ecosystem services.

Based on the new understanding of ecosystem resilience, scientists identified new opportunities for adaptation to improve human well being and reduce regional poverty. Within the project, three linked working groups performed activities related to research, technological development, scientific exchange and dissemination.

1. Monitoring protocol and technology development:
   Activities:
   1. development of common protocols for monitoring biological, physical and chemical parameters (incl. definition of temporal and spatial scales for data acquisition). Specifically, creating a common protocol that can be used to compare conditions of lake stratification, primary production, eutrophication, carbon sequestration, trophic networks, etc.
   2. development of regionally valid calibration algorithms for earth observation and analysis approaches for the study of spatio-temporal dynamics of high elevation African lakes using multispectral satellite data (MODIS, MERIS, SeaWiFs)
   3. collaboration with international satellite database archive managers (the European Space Agency (ESA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Collaboration for Earth Observation (EODC)) to increase the availability of calibrated satellite data to African researchers and planners. Expected participants: East African Great Lake Observatory scientists, NGOs and regional environmental agencies, Target audiences: regional scientists, national ministries, international scientific community
2. Regional lake / climate / environmental database
   Activities:
   1. development of the East African Great Lake Observatory base, a research database protocol and database structure for African lakes data.
   2. link the East African Great Lake Observatory base protocol and structure to the Environmental Information Data Centre (EIDC).
      Expected participants: East African Great Lake Observatory scientists, regional environmental agencies, Environmental Information Data Centre scientists Target audiences: regional scientists, national ministries and policy makers, international scientific community
3. Ecosystem scenario simulation and analysis
   Activities:
   1. development of scenarios (to 2050) based on trends in resource quality, ecosystem functioning, resource utilisation and climate.
   2. interlinked dynamics will be examine using models developed in present and past projects.
      Expected participants: East African Great Lake Observatory scientists, national ministries and non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
      Target audiences: national ministries and policy makers, regional scientific community, supranational (Australia) policy makers and non-governmental organisations.

An initial workshop, open to project partners and the regional stakeholders and policy makers was organised in the first year. Development of specific technological and modelling aspects were organised through a project communication platform and through short term exchanges (<1 month) of project scientists and junior researchers. Each working group (3) held a scientific workshop during the second year of the project to consolidate the results produced, ensure the collaborative development of these instruments with stakeholders, and indicate the requirements for further development.

Further information:

• UN Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation Report 2014-15
• East African Great Lake Ecosystem Sensitivity to Changes