Understanding the Risks to Artisanal Fishers on Lake Victoria Using Design Methods

Area of Science:

• Occupational Safety and Health
• Human-Centered Design
• Aquatic Risk Management

Background:

• Artisanal fishing on Lake Victoria is a vital livelihood but poses substantial drowning risks.
• Understanding daily activities and associated hazards is crucial for effective safety interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document and understand the daily activities and risks faced by artisanal fishers on Lake Victoria.
• To identify opportunities for intervention design to mitigate drowning risks.

Main Methods:

• Employed human-centered design techniques combined with drowning risk analysis.
• Developed visual journey risk maps for two distinct fishing methods: long-line and seine net fishing.
• Engaged fishers in a participatory mapping process to capture their insights on risks and mitigation.

Main Results:

• Two visual journey risk maps were created, detailing "before," "during," and "after" stages for both fishing types.
• Identified specific risks including storms, boat capsizing, collisions, fatigue, and equipment failure.
• Highlighted the need for holistic safety interventions such as weather forecasts, buoyancy devices, and formal training.

Conclusions:

• Co-creating visual journey risk maps with fishers and experts provides deep insights into livelihood risks.
• The process visually presents opportunities for risk mitigation and intervention design.
• Further research should combine design tools with scientific analysis to pinpoint effective control measure implementation points.