Water hyacinth

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More and more rivers in Sub-Sahara Africa face high proliferation of water hyacinth. This is problematic for the ecosystem services, for water supplies for dams and for boats.

Does anybody know any solution to transform them and/or to get rid of them?

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17 Answers

  2. Hello madam as appropriate solutions, we can see:
    Chemical treatments:
    Chemical control was the first method used. The application of herbicides is effective on small surfaces, but it is powerless in the face of excessive proliferation. In addition, glyphosate can be toxic, especially for people who obtain drinking water from the lake. However, these control techniques are often expensive and dangerous for human health and the environment. On the other hand, to the star of the Western legislations, developing countries are more and more restrictive on the authorized chemical substances.

     

    Biological treatments:
    This is the case of the Neochetina bruchi weevil. A growing interest has been brought to the struggles. This control of insects, fish and mammals against hyacinth could be enhanced by the application of mycoherbicides. In principle, they are more respectful of the environment and human health and seem to be a credible alternative for the sustainable management of hyacinth.

  3. Dear Valery,

    As the sheer number of responses shows, your's is a problem that many water managers have to deal with. We are currently looking into a similar issue in a lake in Indonesia (Java). There, an important cause seems to be overly high nutrient inputs from poorly hydrologically managed agricultural field. We investigate a joint approach of putting the Water Hyacinth biomass to use, and  identifying and managing the main nutrient flows into the lake. 

    The contributions from others provide a range of uses for the biomass. To identify nutrient flows, you will have to asses water flows in the landscape and the nutrients they contain.

    I wish you success!

    Kind regards,

    Jasper van Belle, VHL Uni. of Appl. Sciences

  4. As many have stated, there are many uses of water hyacinth.  The challenge however is the harvesting of it from the water bodies.  Also as David Hughs has said, the hyacinth is proliferating due to excessive nutrients in the water bodies, so if you harvest the hyacinth, another macrophyte will take over such as algae, duckweed, etc.  So a holistic approach is necessary whereby sanitation and farming practices are targeted to reduce runoff of untreated or poorly treated wastewater to the streams and rivers, the adoption of control measures on the dams and reservoirs, and sustainable harvesting which is able to produce a useful by-product such as compost, animal feed, biogas, etc.  In South Africa a large dam (Hartbeespoort Dam) infested with hyacinth has been extensively studied  with a number of control measures assessed and some tested including selective fish harvesting (especially bottom feeders that stir up the sediments), introduction of floating wetlands (to create mini- ecosystems) dredging of sediments (which contain some 60 - 70% of the nutrients during the summer stratification), harvesting of both hyacinth and algal mats. Recent activities include compost making in a special process that ensures a commercially acceptable nutrient content of the compost.

  5. There will always be water difficulties when man makes the problems and man tries to fix the problem. Fortunately nature, MICROBES already have the correct solution to repair all damage and restore soil fertility.  The only ingredient missing is you with the proper instructions on how to do.  Specifically the "Sahara Forest" project would be ideal for you and Benin. Simple and quick response to the changes. Zero pathogenic properties, extreme water retention, outrageous crop yields and quality.   

  7. Hi Valerie, 

    I feel very concerned about the problem here in my country (Benin, West-Africa). 

    But there is a start-up that turns the hyacinth into hydrocarbon absorbent. It's call Green Keeper Africa.

    Here is a link, to read an article about the start-up https://www.jeuneafrique.com/519154/economie/benin-green-keeper-africa-la-start-up-qui-transforme-la-jacinthe-deau-en-produit-depolluant/

  8. Hi Valerie,

    A presentation given at the 7th regional RBO meeting (May 2017) by Ken Msibi of the SADC Secretariat showed a solution that removed water hyacinth from source - a water sector win; fed it to cattle - a food sector win; fed the resulting dung into a biofuel digester - an energy sector win; used the resulting slurry as organic fertiliser to enhance crop production -  another food sector win.

    Why not contact Ken at: kmsibi@sadc.int. I hope he's still there.

    Best wishes

    Phil Riddell

  9. Hello Valerie,

    I have read a book titled "Man and the Water Hyacinth" , the Author Jr. Godofredo G. Monsod  is from the Phillipines and  has found brilliant uses for an invasive species.

  12. It could be that the run-off waters from domestic and agricultural sources going to those rivers may have very high phosphate/phosphorus content/levels. This can cause eutrophication of bodies of water, which can have negative effects on the ecosystem concerned. 

    1 Comment

    1. Water hyacinth can double its biomass in eutrophic waters every 3 weeks given the right day length. The only practical way to significantly address it is by limiting the nutrients into freshwaters from agri fertilizer runoff and from human wastes, esp. urine. There are plenty of uses from char-bricks, to soil compost supplement, to biogas with cow/pig manure, to basket and rug making. Yet none of these uses address the long term issues of shallow water annoxia, biodiversity loss, and river/creek/lake navigation impediment. The hyacinth is there mainly because of the nutrients added by human activities.

       

      1 Comment reply

  17. This link might be helpful in looking at them as an asset. https://www.spacefoundation.org/what-we-do/space-technology-hall-fame/inducted-technologies/sewage-treatment-water-hyacinths

    1 Comment

    1. Dear Valirie

      We are having serious problem with water hyacinth in Lake Victoria.

      Depending on the size of the floating mat i would suggest you get a harvester which can be used to crush the weed after harvesting, crush it to get rid of the water and incinerate the remains. The Watermaster is ideal for use in this area as it can float.

      Do note that if used on land the seeds will be washed back into the water course with the re germination of the plant

      The long term solution would be to ensure reduction of nutrints getting in the water course throuh proper waste treatment and management of farmlands.

      I hope this helps.