This book presents the results of research conducted between 2000 and 2004 on Lake Victoria (East Africa). The research examined the spatial spread of shoreline wetlands and found their distribution to be strongly influenced by the action of wind and waves. Evidence also pointed to a strong influence of wind-induced waves and currents on within-lake transport of surficial sediments. Paleolimnological reconstructions from bottom sediments confirmed earlier studies demonstrating the occurrence of eutrophication, and suggested that climate change was a co-driver of lake ecosystem change. It is argued that eutrophication could have led to destruction of a number of littoral plants species and has induced changes in fish populations. The study concludes by recommending the introduction of catchment management measures to reduce the export of nutrients to the lake.

Water transmission and distribution systems are pressurized hydraulic networks, consisting of pipes and other appurtenant components such as reservoirs, pumps, valves and surge devices. Analysis, design and flow control problems in such systems can best be dealt with using network synthesis. This approach aims to directly determine design variables in order to achieve a specified behaviour of the system under steady state or transient flow conditions. There are enormous advantages to be achieved in applying such a model to a wide variety of problems in engineering practice. The innovative theoretical framework described in this thesis, incorporates necessary and sufficient conditions for solvability, as well as methods/algorithms for the efficient solution of network problems.