Integrated Lake Management

Lessons

Planning for integrated lake management: participatory and integrated planning processes

The participatory development of integrated lake management plans ensures wide ownership, poverty focus and inclusion of community priorities. Implementation of the plans is primarily through integration of components into local government development plans. Key lessons for lake wide planning are:

1. Integrated planning: The lake management plans include priorities to support socio-economic development, as well as improved environmental management and improved access to, and productivity of, the fisheries.
2. Integration into local government development plans: Implementation of the plans is largely dependent upon integration into the local government development plans and their links to central government funding.
3. Monitoring and evaluation through existing local government and BMU systems: The M&E plans of LAGBIMO and LAKIMO are intricately linked to local government and information provided by BMUs.
4. Capacity building is a continuous process: Strengthening local government and community capacity and performance in making plans and developing realistic M&E systems is essential for effective lake wide planning and management.