Water Hyacinth

Water hyacinth is a perennial aquatic plant which causes multifaceted problems – environmental, economic and social – around Lake Victoria. The impacts are many at various levels of society. Biodiversity and aquatic flora and fauna changes. This threatens ecological sustainability of freshwater resources, but it also has impact on the economic of the communities dependent or benefitting on lakes and freshwaters. Economic impacts have direct links to social welfare. In summary, water hyacinth is causing system level challenges in the water dependent communities.

The accumulated understanding on eradication of water hyacinth can be summarized so that the only viable way to keep water hyacinth in control is large scale usage of the biomass. Water hyacinth is difficult if not impossible to destroy. The use of water hyacinth biomass with practical, sustainable and cost-effective approach is needed.

The water hyacinth project in Kenya (a Co-Creation project) examines the different uses of water hyacinth and their value chains. The alternative value chains are studied and compared by different aspects: economical, societal and environmental. The main focus is to find out business potential and research needs for involved Finnish companies. During the Co-Creation phase local context will be analyzed, piloting sites in Kenya selected and a joint Co-Innovation project between consortium partners will be developed. 

The project is coordinated by Häme University of Applied Sciences and implemented in collaboration with Finnish and Kenyan companies, Egerton University, ADRA Finland Foundation and Community Initiative for Development (COMID) in Kenya.