Narratives of Change: From the Lake Victoria's Shore to a Sustainable Future
by Anastazia Furutia
From the bottom of my heart, I cannot fully express the beauty and significance of Mwanza City without acknowledging the essence of Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, lying at the heart of East Africa. As a child growing up on the shores of Lake Victoria and being connected to it for over 20 years, we developed a habit of going to the beach every weekend. We had a great time enjoying the natural gardens along the shore, where people would go to relax. Many others came for refreshing activities, including newlyweds who would have their best photoshoots there.
However, things started to change gradually. Every new day felt different from the one before as we began to notice significant environmental changes around the lake. We wondered why there were so many fluctuations in the water levels over time, which affected the lake’s biodiversity and the surrounding ecosystem. In 2019, the situation worsened due to heavy rainfall, which not only affected us but also caused severe flooding. The rising water levels of Lake Victoria destroyed many homes, forcing people to relocate. The beaches we used to frequent, along with the gardens, were submerged, and the entire surrounding environment was devastated. These impacts also severely affected the agricultural sector, which is the backbone of our region, Mwanza.
With all these issues in mind, we were left wondering what had caused such drastic changes. Finally, a team of experts enlightened us, explaining that all these issues were a result of climate change. Honestly, it was hard for me to comprehend how we had reached this point, allowing such massive destruction. This led me to question whether there is a way to prevent this from happening again. At that time, I didn’t have a solid foundation to fully grasp and analyze these complex issues. Looking back, I realize that our education system never gave us a thorough understanding of environmental issues and climate change. Instead, they were taught as minor topics within other subjects, making it difficult for students to deeply engage with and understand these critical issues or take early actions to help their communities.
However, for me, this wasn’t an obstacle. Instead, it opened up a path for me to help my community because I longed for the days when we were truly connected to this natural resource. I approached my elders and shared with them my desires and the determination I had within me. Eventually, I made a decision aimed at saving the future, and I can confidently say that it was the right one.
In 2020, the same year I was about to start my bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Management, I made that decision. It came after enduring a lot of hardship, along with my community and our precious ecosystem. Everything was going well for me. Every single day felt like a step closer to achieving my goal of safeguarding our environment as a whole, much like how a soldier is trained in the army. As a continuation of my journey, I worked with the National Environment Management Council during my two consecutive years of field practical training in 2022 and 2023. This experience taught me so much and made me realize the hidden factors that led to the environmental crises we were facing. By that time, I was fully prepared to protect my community from the environmental battles and challenges ahead. In the same year, 2023, I initiated a project aimed at combating the impact of climate change, particularly focusing on vulnerable communities.
In this project, I provide climate and environmental education to young people within communities and various institutions like schools, equipping them with a sense of environmental responsibility from a young age. This is to ensure that they don't suffer from the same unawareness of these crises as I did, which limited my ability to help my community. I want to prevent this from happening to them and future generations. This education isn't limited to children alone, but extends to entire communities, where I promote climate-smart agriculture. This includes conservation practices like agroforestry and agroecology, and I encourage the cultivation of crops suited to specific climate conditions to ensure food security for local communities.
My city, Mwanza, has low tree cover in many areas due to deforestation, which is driven by the use and reliance on traditional fuels such as charcoal and firewood. These practices not only degrade the environment and biodiversity but also contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, which further exacerbate climate change. Additionally, they lead to health problems, especially respiratory diseases, caused by indoor air pollution. To address this challenge, my project advocates for the production of clean cooking energy that is affordable and environmentally friendly, made by converting waste materials. This helps reduce pollution, protect the biodiversity in our environment, and improve health outcomes.
In early 2024, as a continuation of the climate changes we’ve been witnessing, heavy rains caused the worst flooding event in history, from my understanding. The floods hit our country hard, especially Mwanza City, as Lake Victoria overflowed. The water levels rose drastically, causing massive flooding in residential areas, forcing many people to flee their homes. This time, it also led to the outbreak of waterborne diseases such as cholera, due to poor sanitation. Agriculture was significantly affected, particularly crops like maize that don’t thrive in heavy rain conditions.
These are the challenges I have been wholeheartedly committed to addressing. Through my project, I’ve found a sense of pride in taking actions that directly impact and help preserve Lake Victoria as an ecosystem. My vision is to integrate more climate-resilient infrastructures along the lake. These include planting trees along the shores and installing early warning systems to at least reduce exposure to hazards while increasing the adaptive capacity of the people living nearby.
I’m confident that all of these efforts will bring co-benefits that will enhance and improve people's livelihoods, accelerate the transition to renewable energy, and promote sustainable forest and ecosystem management. In turn, this will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. My project already addresses multiple Sustainable Development Goals by promoting sustainable systems and resilient practices, all of which are essential in adapting to the impacts of climate change.
At present, My project is already making an impact and I continue to work on it, closely collaborating with non-governmental organizations within my community to build a better future. Let’s all manage and sustainably use our natural resources, promoting conservation and restoration to build resilience, adapt to climate change, and reduce disaster risks. Together, we can nurture nature! And this is my story.
About
Anastazia David Furutia is the founder and project manager of the GreenHarbor Resilience Project. She is also an environmental grant researcher for Corals of Mikindani and Southern Africa Embrace Foundation. Anastazia serves as a Global Advisory Board Member for Climate Solutions International and a Climate Ambassador for the Global Youth Climate Network. She is the Chapter Leader for Green Pulse Education in Tanzania and an African Climate Leader Fellow with GreenLead. Additionally, she is a certified Climate Resilient Infrastructure Officer and recognized climate influencer by Global Solutions Diary of Project Drawdown.
Anastazia is also an Ocean Advocate with GenSea, a member of the Sustainable Ocean Alliance in Tanzania, and an Ocean Decade Member supporting the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. She is a member of the Mountain Youth Hub of the Mountain Partnership, an International Ambassador for The Climate International (TCI), and a She Leader with the Africa Matters Initiative. Anastazia has been recognized as an Aspire Future Leader by the Aspire Institute, a food rescue ambassador for Foolish Food, and an alumna of the NexGen Women Leadership Program by Do Well Do Good. She is actively involved in YOUNGO UNFCCC, Youth4Climate, and the UNCCD Youth Caucus.