Tanzania has officially assumed the chairmanship of the Council of Ministers of the Lake Tanganyika Authority (LTA), with a commitment to strengthening regional cooperation, ensuring the sustainable management of the lake’s resources, and protecting the environment for the benefit of the citizens of the member states.
The Minister of State in the Vice President’s Office (Union and Environment), Engineer Hamad Yussuf Masauni, accepted this responsibility during the 14th meeting of the Lake Tanganyika Authority Council of Ministers, held in Dar es Salaam on October 30, 2026.
Speaking as he accepted the role from Zambia, Masauni stated that Tanzania views the chairmanship as a significant trust—one that requires solidarity, accountability, and collective action from all four countries bordering Lake Tanganyika: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia.
He noted that Lake Tanganyika is a shared heritage of immense ecological, economic, and social importance, serving as a vital source of food, employment, and income, as well as a reservoir of biodiversity with global significance. “Tanzania will use its tenure as chair to strengthen regional cooperation and institutional coordination, advance the integrated management of the lake and its basin, and scale up efforts to address environmental pollution, unsustainable fishing, land degradation, and the impacts of climate change,” he said.
Dr. Douty Chibamba, Permanent Secretary in Zambia’s Ministry of Blue Economy and Environment, stated that the success of the Lake Tanganyika Authority should not be measured solely by the number of resolutions adopted, but by tangible outcomes achieved in protecting the lake, improving the livelihoods of the people, and fostering regional development.
Dr. Emma Liwenga, Executive Director of the Lake Tanganyika Authority, explained that environmental conservation must go hand in hand with improving the livelihoods of the local population and strengthening the economies of the countries surrounding the lake.
The Minister of State in the Vice President’s Office (Union and Environment), Engineer Hamad Yussuf Masauni (right), assumes the chairmanship of the Lake Tanganyika Authority (LTA) Council of Ministers. He received the role from Zambia’s Minister of Green Economy and Environment, Gilbert Siame—represented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Douty Chibamba—during the 14th meeting of the Council, held in Dar es Salaam on October 30, 2026.
