Zwischen Nutzung und Niedergang

Due to its characteristics as a lake uniquely rich in species, a supposedly inexhaustible food source and a development resource, Lake Victoria attracted multiple players during the 20th century. Scientists, international organisations, colonial politicians and development workers sought to utilise Africa's largest lake, thereby integrating it into global exchange schemes. On the basis of extensive archive studies in Great Britain and Uganda, Jan C. Breitinger details how the influence of non-local stakeholders resulted in the transformation of the lake from an almost untouched ‘paradise’ into a highly stressed socio-economic space and degraded habitat. By employing a multi-perspective analysis, he illustrates manifold aspects of the (de)colonisation of Africa, the exploration and utilisation of local natural resources, and the repercussions of globalisation.