Indiscriminate destruction of forests and other forms of environmental degradation on the slopes of Mt Elgon pose a major threat to the survival of Lake Victoria.
The Western provincial commissioner said that about 20 million tonnes of silt are washed down the lake daily, causing the water level to fall. The slopes account for 80 percent of this soil.
Currently, the water levels have dropped by 10 metres.
Four more rounds of formal negotiations are scheduled before the Dec 7-18 talks in Copenhagen. These are June 1-12 in Bonn, Germany; Aug 10-14 in Bonn; Sept 28 to Oct 9 in Bangkok; and Nov 2-6, at a venue yet to be decided.
In addition, heads of state and government will gather in September at a U.N. climate change summit in New York and President Obama will host a major economies forum on the sidelines of the G8 in Italy in July. Two other meetings convened by the United States will take place, one probably 26-27 May in Paris and another in June.
