DAR ES SALAAM, April 30– At least 50 houses were submerged and more than 300 people displaced on Ukerewe Island in the Mwanza Region of northwestern Tanzania due to rising water levels in Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake, an official said Monday.
Christopher Ndubiagai, the Ukerewe District commissioner, said that the houses were submerged last week as the lake’s water level rose following ongoing torrential rains.
“The lake has been overwhelmed by the heavy rains and several over-flooded tributaries flowing into the lake,” he said, noting that according to the 2022 national population census, Ukerewe Island is home to 384,000 people.
Ndubiagai said that Ukerewe Island is experiencing erosion caused by the rising water level in the lake, which is shared by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.
District authorities are assessing the extent of the damage caused by the rising water levels and simultaneously relocating the displaced people to safer areas, including public schools, he said.
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